Until Next Time
by Ayyyylmao
Summary: AU & CS fic. Emma meets a mysterious blue-eyed Captain & they share an instant, mutual dislike for each other. But before she knows it, she finds herself pulled into one hell of an adventure with the Captain - much to both of their dismay.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Hey everyone :) I hope you enjoy this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. It's an ongoing story consisting of multiple chapters that I've written in advance so I'll be updating as often as possible. This is my first time ever writing a fanfic, so please feel free to give me some reviews w/ constructive criticism :)

**Summary: **Emma meets a mysterious blue-eyed Captain & they share an instant, mutual dislike for each other. But before she knows it, she finds herself pulled into one hell of an adventure with the Captain - much to both of their dismay. CS fanfic.

**Disclaimer**: All characters (except for the ones I made up) belong to Adam & Eddy's OUAT! :)

* * *

They didn't hear her when she excused herself nor did they notice when she quietly slipped away and rushed out of the room. Nobody heard her when she snuck away on foot and not a single soul saw her crawl past the guards. Emma smiled smugly to herself as she scanned the sea of houses before her. That was exactly her intention. Invisibility and isolation.

This was the life she preferred - quiet and isolated. There wasn't much choice anyway, as she got along with little company and trusted even fewer. But she was never always that way. No, Emma's life - although quiet and isolated - was anything but peaceful. And there was only one thing to blame for that.

A loud bang snapped Emma out of her thoughts and she looked down at the street below her, fully alert. She had been sitting on the roof of the carpenter's house for much too long; she hadn't noticed that a scuffle had begun downstairs.

Fearing that she may get caught trespassing, she quickly wrapped her scarf around her mouth, put on her hood, and jumped down to the balcony below. Before she could sneak off the ledge and make her way for the streets, a pained yell from the room behind stopped her in her tracks.

"Please, I'll-I'll give you anything," a man's voice pleaded. "Please sir, just not that-"

"Should've thought better before ye borrowed from me!" a gruff voice grunted back. Conflicted, Emma looked down at the streets then back at the door beside her. _Just five seconds and I'll leave_, she told herself, then she peered through a crack in the door.

An elderly man covered in dirt and rags was kneeling on the floor, hands clasped in desperation. In front of him stood a much larger and broader man who did not look pleased at all. He glared at the kneeling man menacingly through dark eyes, his hands in mid-air. Emma looked at the broader man's hands carefully - he was holding what looked like a large pendant.

"Anything, please I- _No_!" The broader man had grabbed a fistful of the older man's shirt and pulled him closer.

"Yer pleadin' is irritatin' me! I should kill ye right now and then-"

"I don't think so, pal."

The large man dropped the man and stared in surprise at Emma, who had burst through the door. She scanned the room quickly before looking back at the two men before her.

_ Candlestick, horseshoe, chairs._ It was all she needed.

The broad man took a step towards her. "And who do ye think-"

Before he could finish his sentence, Emma swiftly grabbed the horseshoe from a nearby drawer and whipped it at his face, causing him to stumble back and rub his watering eyes in pain. The pendant dropped to the floor and the old man, who was curled in a corner in fear, had started to crawl towards it.

_"Don't,"_ Emma warned. "Not yet." Confused, the old man looked at the broad man who was now looking at the old man through his hands.

"Why ye little-"

The broad man tried to reach for the pendant with one hand, but was thwarted by Emma. She ran towards him, took the candlestick that was beside the horseshoe from earlier, and hit him across the face with all her might. He fell to ground and yelled in pain, allowing Emma time to grab the pendant from the ground.

She looked at the fearful old man and threw it at him. "Catch!"

"Ye...Ye…" Emma turned her attention back to the broad man and grabbed a chair nearby, grounding the broad man's thigh threateningly with one of its legs. He grimaced in pain.

"I, I what?" she mocked, standing over him.

The broad man looked back at her through pained eyes. "Ye win! Ye win! Let me go! I'll leave the old git alone," he pleaded. Emma scanned the large man's eyes and saw the truth in his words, and she reluctantly lifted the chair.

"I'll know if you ever come back," she warned him. "And I promise you that if you do, our next meeting will make this one look like a tea party." He nodded nervously and ran off, leaving Emma alone with the old man. She looked back at him and held out her hand.

"Who-who are you?" he whispered, staring nervously at her hand. He remained in his spot in the corner of the room and was clutching the pendant to his chest.

Emma smiled, although the man couldn't see her covered mouth. Of course he wouldn't know who she is - that was exactly her goal. She was covered from head to toe in hunting gear; the only part of her that could be seen, if light happened to reach there, were her eyes peering from behind her hood and scarf.

"I think a 'thank you' will suffice," she replied, turning toward the balcony to leave.

"W-wait! Wait!" he stood up and hurried to her. "I apologize. I am extremely grateful." Emma nodded in acknowledge and he continued. "I promise you - I am forever in your debt. You just saved something very dear to me. If you need anything- anything- I-"

Emma laughed. "I think it's unwise for you get into any more debts, don't you think?" She took a step closer to him and put her hand on his shoulder gently. "Consider it my debt for trespassing on your roof so many times." The old man looked at her questioningly and she sighed.

"If he ever comes back, I'll be here," she reassured him. "No debts needed. Goodbye, Mister Geppetto." Then she turned and swiftly made her way around the balcony, jumping into the streets in one fluid motion.

_How did she know my name...?_ Geppetto stared at her disappearing figure in awe, wondering who on Earth his saviour could be. He could have sworn that he recognized her voice from somewhere. Tightening his hold on the pendant, he silently hoped that she was telling the truth when she said she would be there to protect him.

But little did he know that she always comes back.

* * *

The castle always looked so beautiful in the evening, when the moon illuminated its grey stone walls and the stars danced brightly from above. It was a fortress the entire kingdom admired and a home that many envied, and Emma was fortunate to be able to stand in front of it at leisure.

If only she felt fortunate.

She looked away from the castle and leaned against a tree, suddenly feeling exhausted from the fight she had earlier. Why did she always have to play the hero act? She groaned as she felt her legs giving in. It would be hard to move in silence at this state now. She needed to rest. Sitting on a boulder under the tree, she took out her favourite dagger from her waist and held it against the moonlight, taking off her hood to give herself a better view.

_Needs sharpening_, she thought as she put back the dagger, and made a mental note to tell the dwarves once she gets home.

A light breeze brushed past her cheeks and the leaves on the ground rustled. Emma shivered at the cold air and stood up, glancing at the castle with a sigh. It was getting late.

"Going somewhere, lass?"

Startled, Emma turned around to see a young man with dark, sweeping hair leaning against a tree. Not a guard, she noted, taking a quick once-over at his clothing and feeling a little bit relieved at that fact. He looked at her with slightly amused eyes and crossed his arms in a slightly confident manner.

She mimicked the action and lifted her chin slightly. "I was under the impression I was alone."

"And so was I," the man replied in the same confident voice he used earlier. "Until a hooded figure with a rather sharp-looking dagger shoved their way past me and caught my eye."

Emma's breath caught in her throat as she instinctively lifted her hand towards her head. _Shit. _She had just realized that she was no longer wearing her hood and the scarf that was usually wrapped around the bottom half of her face was now hanging loosely around her neck.

Despite feeling slightly exposed, she held her cool. "And what business do you have with strange hooded figures?" She glanced at his clothing and saw that he was wearing some sort of uniform that she hadn't seen before.

"What business do you have with a dagger?" he shot back, raising an eyebrow. He uncrossed his arms and took a step toward her. "And what-"

But Emma was too quick. In a flash, she whipped out her dagger and pinned the man to the tree, holding the weapon close to his throat.

"Not so fast, stranger," she hissed. "Who are you? Why are you following me?"

The man glared at her before speaking, throwing away his cool demeanor. "I was not following you-"

_"Lie."_ Emma applied more pressure to his throat with the knife, causing him to grunt in pain. "Tell no lies and I will spare your throat."

The man looked at her angrily, all playfulness disappearing from his blue eyes. "Trust me, lass, I have no intention of harming you." Emma scanned his eyes with her own and let him go roughly.

"Listen, stranger," she warned, waving the dagger at him. "I can always tell when someone is lying to me. So don't try any pretty tricks on me."

Groaning, he rubbed his neck. "You are truly a lady, you know that?" he muttered under his breath.

She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "I've been called worse. You still didn't answer my question." She pointed the dagger at him. "_Who are you and why are you here_?"

The man bowed low, the confident smirk appearing on his face once again. "Captain Killian Jones. I am here at the request of the King for… important matters. I was on my way to meet with him, actually, until your suspicious demeanour gained my attention." He gestured at her dagger and she lowered it before cautiously returning it to her waist.

_Truth._ Taking a cautious step back, she processed his words for a moment and glanced at his clothing. Ah, so that's why she didn't recognize the uniform - he was a visitor to this kingdom. He moved closer to her slowly and cautiously, becoming more visible under the moonlight. She noticed a small golden ship pinned to his chest and frowned. She wasn't a fan of navy officers.

"And what business does a sailor have with royalty?" she asked, now raising her eyebrow.

This seemed to displease the Captain as his smirk was now replaced by a frown. "If it were in my control, there would be none at all," he replied resentfully, looking down. Then he darted his eyes back at her, scowling. "And what do you mean, _sailor?_ Do the words 'Captain' and 'navy officer' mean anything?"

Emma shrugged, trying not to smirk. "Same difference. What's wrong with royalty?"

He paused and looked away with an expression she couldn't place. To her surprise, Killian started walking away from her. "Spoiled and a waste of leadership, amongst the list," she heard him muttering under his breath.

Suddenly, a feeling of deep dislike and annoyance surfaced from within Emma and she felt an urge to be defensive. "What do you mean _spoiled_ and- and _wasted leadership_? You know nothing about those people," she said, catching up to him.

Killian continued walking and looked at her from the corner of his eye, letting out a breath of exasperation. "Are there not any other important matters you have to attend to?"

"Well, you were the one who disturbed my peace so I'm just returning the favour," she replied coolly.

He stopped and looked at her incredulously. _"Me?_ After that _lovely_ act of violence you bestowed upon me? You, lass, are a lunatic. Now if you'll excuse me-" He gestured to the door that had suddenly appeared in front of them. "I have a king to meet." Raising his hand to knock, he lifted his other hand as if to dismiss her. "It was lovely meeting you," he added sarcastically.

_ Oh shit_, Emma thought. She didn't realize how close they had gotten to the castle doors. Ignoring his irritating words and her impulse to shoot an insult at him, she quickly ran as far as she could, rushed towards the nearest boulder, and jumped behind it. Just in time, too, as the doors had opened as soon as she hid herself.

She watched as the Captain was greeted by another man of a similar uniform and disappeared behind the castle walls. A feeling of deep loathing was suddenly surfacing from within again, and she found herself glaring at the spot where he was no longer standing. It was one thing to catch her off her guard, but it was another to insult the King and the royal family.

Gathering herself and brushing off the dirt from her pants, she made her way towards the castle.

_ It doesn't matter anyway_, she thought._ I'll avoid him as much as I can._

Her hand touched the familiar jagged edge on the castle wall and she began to climb.

* * *

**A/N: **Just a reminder - this is a Captain Swan fic :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary: **Emma meets a mysterious blue-eyed Captain & they share an instant, mutual dislike for each other. But before she knows it, she finds herself pulled into one hell of an adventure with the Captain - much to both of their dismay. CS fanfic.

**Disclaimer**: All characters (except for the ones I made up) belong to Adam & Eddy's OUAT :)

* * *

_Bloody hell. _

He tried to shrug off the feeling but he found his thoughts straying towards it even more: the way she scanned his eyes carefully as if she was reading his mind; the guarded and cool composure she kept up when she spoke to him. It irritated him greatly and the more he thought about the way she had bested him with her dagger and the smug look on her face, the more he found himself loathing her.

The blonde woman and Killian had an instant mutual dislike, that was for sure. He knew he was being unreasonable as he was the one who had initiated their interaction in the first place. _Why in god's name did he have to act like a hero and follow her?_ He frowned to himself, remembering the way she had ran past him towards the castle. Whatever she was planning to do was not his concern; he was simply here for business and nothing more. He was a navy officer - not a guard.

He remembered how he had drawn his sword anyway, and crept close to her when she stopped under the tree. Something was suspicious in the way the heavily cloaked figure was staring at the castle, and he couldn't find it in himself to leave it up to the castle guards to deal with her and walk away.

When she had taken off her hood and lowered her scarf, he had let out an inaudible gasp at the sight of her long, blonde hair._ A woman?_ He was not expecting that at all.

Relief had washed over him and for a second he dismissed her as no threat, but he stiffened before he put back his sword in its sheath. He of all people should know better than to underestimate women. When she took out her dagger and examined it in the air, it confirmed his thoughts and he found himself inching closer to her once again.

_What in the gods name am I doing_? He had thought when he drew his sword again. He looked at the woman closely, who, to his surprise, had a melancholic look on her face. Sighing, Killian decided that perhaps she wasn't dangerous after all, and put his sword away.

The woman had sighed too and stood up, looking sadly at the castle, and for some strange reason, Killian found himself drawn to her, despite the nagging voice in the back of his mind yelling at him to go on about his own matters.

She began to move and out of impulse, Killian spoke.

"Going somewhere, lass?"

Startled, the woman whipped her head and looked straight at him. He found himself surprised at his own actions as well and hastily thought of a way to escape this interaction. But she was looking at him now and there was nothing more he can do. He crossed his arms and looked right back at her, a smirk playing at his lips- the usual things act he played whenever he faced a woman.

_A rather attractive one too,_ he added privately, noting her green eyes.

But instead of fluttering her eyelids to the ground and moving away shyly, as most women did in his presence, she crossed her arms in response and looked at him defiantly instead.

"I was under the impression I was alone."

_Guarded,_ Killian thought as his eyes met hers. He could almost hear the walls behind her eyes build themselves. _Well guarded. _

Challenged by this new observation he made of her, he explained his presence and started towards her, hoping to get a better look at those eyes. But to his astonishment, he had found himself pinned against the tree with a dagger pressed against his throat.

"Who are you? Why are you following me?" she hissed at him. Displeased, he glared at her.

"I was not following-"

He grunted in pain as the dagger pressed harder against his throat._ I will _not_ be bested by her_, he thought furiously, struggling against her hold.

"_Lie_," she hissed again, narrowing her eyes toward him.

He narrowed his own eyes. "Trust me, lass, I have no intention of harming you."

They stood like that for a moment, glaring at each other. It was then that Killian noticed something in the way the woman looked at him. _Is she... Reading me?_ He thought incredulously as her eyes swept carefully across his own.

As if to answer his thoughts, she sighed and reluctantly let him go.

"Listen, stranger. I can always tell when someone's lying to me, so don't try any pretty tricks."

Killian stared at her, suddenly feeling eerily uncomfortable by this declaration. For the first time, he felt... Exposed. Vulnerable, almost. And he disliked this feeling deeply.

_I do not like her_, he decided as he bowed and introduced himself. She continued to look at him with the same dislike and mistrust as he spoke, and before Killian could ask for her own identity, she was pressing him with questions.

"What's wrong with royalty?"

He stiffened, the feeling of dislike for the woman growing in his stomach. She really had to ask this question, didn't she? Unpleasant memories began to resurface at the back of Killian's mind and he wanted nothing more than to get away from her. I_ should have left her alone when I first saw her,_ he thought to himself regretfully as he began to walk away.

He must have hit a fine line when he muttered his sentiments about royalty, as the blonde woman had suddenly ran up to him, looking slightly angered. Killian tried to quicken his pace and shrug her off, but she was insistent. _The nerve of this stubborn woman. _

When he had shot a hasty good-bye at her and knocked on the castle door, she disappeared from sight.

* * *

And now here he was, walking alongside his fellow navy officer, trying to rid himself of thoughts of her. _No longer my concern,_ he tried convincing himself, ignoring the unsettling guilt growing inside of him. _Perhaps I shouldn't have been so rude to the lass_…

"What took you so long, Captain?" The officer beside him snapped back to reality.

"I was... Thwarted. But I am here now so no need to worry, Smee."

Smee gave him a cheeky grin. "A lady, perhaps?"

Killian paused momentarily. _Were they seen?_ He looked at Smee's expression and saw nothing to make past his grin.

He gave a lazy smile and waved as if to dismiss it. "Aye, something of that sort."

Smee shook his head still grinning. "Always the ladies' man, Captain. "

_Not all ladies_, Killian thought a scowl. He briefly wondered where the woman had disappeared to but quickly shook it from his thoughts.

"Aye, that I am."

They finally came to a halt in front of a wooden door that looked... Too simple for a meeting room. In fact, Killian realized, the castle was not as bold and luxurious as he had expected. Everything about it was simple and clean, and it made Killian curious as to how the King may be like. After all, if there was one thing he learned about royalty, it was that their castle and kingdom reflected their character.

They stood for a moment before Killian finally knocked. He held his breath in anticipation, suddenly feeling slightly anxious. The last time he made business with a king cost him everything...

Smee looked at his captain's worried expression and gave him a gentle pat on the back.

"It will be all right, sir."

Killian nodded curtly and straightened his back.

"Are you ready, Captain?" Smee asked worriedly.

He nodded again and shot him a lopsided grin. "Do you doubt me, Smee?"

Smee didn't have time to reply. The door had finally opened.

And before them stood the King.

* * *

NEXT CHAPTER - Emma experiences a flashback/dream & we find out why Killian's at the royal castle :)


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **There is a bit of angst but there's a lot of things that we'll learn about Emma, Killian, and the King (in regards to his business with Killian) :D Very interesting chapter! I hope the wheels in your minds spin like crazy as you all read this, hehehe ;)

Also, thank you to those to gave reviews! I really appreciate it :)

**Summary: **Emma meets a mysterious blue-eyed Captain & they share an instant, mutual dislike for each other. But before she knows it, she finds herself pulled into one hell of an adventure with the Captain - much to both of their dismay. CS fanfic.

**Disclaimer**: All characters (except for the ones I made up) belong to Adam & Eddy's OUAT.

* * *

Darkness always got to the best of her; she wasn't a fan of the blindness it brought upon her. It gave her a sense of vulnerability. She liked knowing where she was going and what was coming her way. But here she was, being led to a cave that invited nothing but.

"Tell me again, why are we here?" she grumbled.

_"Trust_ me, I know it's here!"

Emma looked at him in exasperation but shook her head and followed him into the cave anyway, hoping that whatever it is he wanted to her to see, it would be over and done with quickly.

She stepped cautiously into the cold darkness and reached out carefully in front of her, making sure nothing was in her way. But before she could take another step further into the darkness, a light flashed. Panicked, she tried to run and scream for his name but she found herself completely stuck to where she was standing. Yelling for him one last time, a fog devoured her and Emma saw black.

She opened her eyes and found that she was holding him in his arms.

"Oh my G-" her voice caught in her breath as she inwardly screamed at the sight of the bloodstain on his shirt.

"No, no, no!" She shook him desperately, trying to shake whatever life he had back into his eyes, a scream threatening to escape her throat.

"Please," she sobbed, her arms feeling weaker and weaker. _"Please."_

To her utmost relief, his eyelids began to flutter open, and when his eyes met hers, he looked at her with a small smile.

"Hi," he said with a strained voice. He tried to move his arm but groaned in pain at the attempt. Emma felt herself tremble at the sight of him; she knew he was getting weaker.

Suddenly, to Emma's horror, more blood began to seep through the clothing.

"What do I do?!" she panicked. "How do I stop it?!"

He looked at her sadly. "You can't."

Breathing heavily, she looked around in desperation. "But there has to be something, something- _anything-"_

"No, Emma," he whispered.

She looked at him, the dread sinking in. His eyes had resignation written all over it. "You can't leave me."

"Just think of it as our last great adventure," he said with a weak smile. "The grand finale."

_"No,"_ she said firmly, despite the tremble in her voice. "I'll find away. I promise - I'll find a way."

He shook his head slightly. "No, Emma."

Then she finally gave in, the tears flooding down her face. "Don't…"

"Emma? Can you do me a favour? Say it one last time, please." He said it to her almost pleadingly, and she felt herself break inside.

"I'll find a way," she said again, refusing to accept that he was going to… going to… _God, she couldn't even think of it_. "This isn't the last adventure, you hear me?" His eyes began to close and desperation filled her.

"Please say it.."

Heart collapsing inside of her, she looked at him in the eyes and tried to smile, despite her growing pain. "Until next time, kid."

"Until next time, Emma."

And then everything went black.

* * *

_No_! Emma bolted up from her sleep and sat up straight in her bed. Sweating and breathing heavily, she looked around her room, which was now flooded with the light of morning. _A dream,_ she thought in relief. _Just another dream._

"Emma?"

She looked up to see her bedroom door slowly open, revealing a dark haired woman with porcelain skin. Emma looked at the long, flowing silver dress that covered the woman's body and couldn't help but give the woman half a smile.

It was true what they say - the Queen truly is the fairest of them all.

"You've been dreaming again," the Queen stated softly as she walked towards her bed.

Emma remained silent and looked away towards her window.

Understanding her silence, the Queen sat down at the edge of Emma's bed and smiled kindly at her. "Your father is looking for you. We have visitors - one of them close to your age, actually." Emma raised an eyebrow questioningly at her, causing the Queen to sigh. "He'd just really appreciate it if you come have breakfast with them."

Emma nodded and gave a small smile. "Yeah. I'll be there in a bit."

The Queen patted her hand gently on Emma's and smiled at her sadly. She walked away, pausing momentarily to look back at her before exiting the room.

_What kind of Mother am I if I can't even take away my daughter's loneliness..._

* * *

Outside in the gardens, Killian was walking along the stony path, his head swimming with the thoughts of his meeting with the King. He had been rather taken aback by the King's words, and they managed to stick to the back of his mind. The information had overwhelmed him, and his determination to start this journey was now slowly diminishing as apprehension clouded his mind.

He had no bloody idea how the hell he was going to pull the entire expedition off.

_**-FLASHBACK-**_

The King looked at Smee and then at Killian, and then crossed his arms with a stern look on his face.

"You're late."

Killian shifted uncomfortably but managed to bow down and introduce himself. "Captain Killian Jones, your Highness."

"And William Smee, King sir, at your service sir!" Smee piped in with a salute. Killian glared at him at the corner of his eye. _This blubbering idiot…_

The King nodded in recognition and led them into the room, where a large table with a few chairs were set up. He stood at the head of the table and looked at them tentatively before speaking.

"Nice uniforms, officers," he stated, glancing at their clothing.

Killian raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Thank you."

They stood there for a moment, judging each other in silence. Unable to stand this interaction anymore, Killian spoke up.

"With all due respect, your Highness, I would like to-"

"Know why I sent you that message? And why you're here?" the King cut him off by finishing his sentence.

Killian looked at him in surprise, taken aback. _Does he…?_

"I know who you are," he said firmly, confirming his thoughts. He glanced at Killian's badge knowingly and looked back at them with a serious face. "You don't fool me with those uniforms, but I guess it's safer for all of us if you kept them on. Listen, I know about your history, about what happened with -"

"What do you want from us?" Killian interrupted with a hard look on his face. _What in the bloody hell was going on?_

The King walked towards them with a serious look on his face. "I'm here to make you a deal," he said with a lowered voice. "An offer for an offer. You remember what I said in that message I sent you - I know what you're looking for and I know how you can achieve it. But I'll only tell you if you're willing to make this deal with me."

Killian briefly exchanged a glance with Smee, who nodded his head slightly. He looked back at the King. _He looks earnest and honest,_ Killian thought as he carefully examined the King's face.

"I'm listening," he replied at last.

The King continued. "Have you ever heard of magic beans, Captain?" Killian shook his head. "No? Well, they create portals, ones that take you to any realm you desire." The King looked straight into Killian's eye. "Even realms that have protection spells."

Killian stood up straighter and kept a straight face. "Go on."

"I am one of the rare few who knows exactly where and how to get these beans. It's not an easy task, but I've done it before and I can do it again - _for a price_." The King took a step back before continuing.

"There lives a Queen in a land quite far from here, and she has something that I need to get from her as soon as possible. If I don't, something-" He took a deep breath before continuing, making Killian raise an eyebrow. "…Something very bad will happen. And I'm afraid my ships are too slow for me to reach there in time. But I've heard about you: cunning, clever, _purposeful._ And good with a sword." He paused and looked at Killian, who had lifted his chin with pride at the compliment.

"If you take me up on this deal and get what I need from this Queen," the King said. "I'll tell you how to get those magic beans. But _first _you _must_ deal with the Queen in order for me to meet my end of the deal."

Noticing a loophole in this story, Killian spoke up. "Why can't you get the beans first and then travel to that land yourself?"

"Because," the King said with a grim face. "The only way to get to those beans is to cross that land first. There is no other way."

"And if I agree, I gather you won't be joining us in this expedition?" Killian raised an eyebrow at him questioningly.

The King gave him a dark look. "As you can see, I have a kingdom to uphold," he replied, gesturing around him.

Eyeing him for a moment, Killian considered his words. "I will admit, that is a very interesting proposition, indeed, but I must ask -" He took a step closer. "Why _me_ in particular? Why contact me and choose _me_ for this… quest?"

Chuckling, the King gestured towards the window. "Your ship is the only ship I know that can cross through both realms and worlds successfully. Plus, it is the fastest ship I know," he added with a smirk.

_Bloody right it is,_ Killian thought proudly. Pushing away the pride that was surging inside of him, he looked at Smee, who seemed to be in awe of everything that the King had told them. Smee looked back at his captain and gave a small smile. _Nothing else seemed to work in the past,_ Smee's expression told him. _Give it a shot._

Turning to the King, he made his decision. "All right. I will take you up on this offer." He took a stride closer to him and spoke so only the King could hear. "But listen here - _your Highness,_" the word rolled off his tongue in a smooth, almost sneering way. "I'm not fond of you _Royals,_ and I gather that you know the reason why from your little spy work." He gave the King a hard look. "So if there is any sort of trickery up your sleeve, know that I am not afraid to cut off your head if needed."

Instead of retorting similarly, the King simply chuckled, surprising Killian once again.

"Then I have no worries."

* * *

Back in the garden, Killian leaned against a column and shook his head at the memory, remembering how they sealed the deal.

_"Remember,_" the King had warned him. _"If you decide to run out on our deal and get to the magic beans first, you'll freeze…_ Forever._ This seal is of ancient magic - an oath to death used by the ancient kings back then - so don't try any tricks. Plus,_" he had added with a dark look. _"Even if we didn't complete this seal, you can't find your way to the beanstalk without dealing with the Queen first."_

Killian lifted his sleeve and stared at the mark made on his wrist, the royal emblem glowing under the sun. _Of course_ the King had to make sure that Killian would meet his end of the deal first - and with a grand, ancient, magical "seal of oath", too. He sighed and pulled the shirt back down, walking towards the interior of the castle. There was no turning back on his word now.

_It will be worth it,_ he decided at last. He looked up at the skies sadly. _The things I do for you…_

He continued to look up at the skies longingly, subconsciously grazing his fingers over the pouch on his holster.

Until he was shoved to the side.

"_What in the_-" he looked up to see who his assailant was.

"I'm so sorry, I was in a rush and-"

They looked at each other and froze, blue eyes meeting green.

_"You!"_

* * *

NEXT CHAPTER: Killian finally finds out who Emma is. Also some CS moments happen ;)


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: ** Killian finally finds out who Emma is! And a few CS moments here ;)

**Summary: **AU & CS. Emma meets a mysterious blue-eyed Captain & they share an instant, mutual dislike for each other. But before she knows it, she finds herself pulled into one hell of an adventure with the Captain - much to both of their dismay.

**Disclaimer**: All characters (except for the ones I made up) belong to Adam & Eddy's OUAT :)

* * *

_"What the hell are you doing here?!"_

Emma widened her eyes at the sight of the man she had met last night, an unpleasant feeling filling her insides. She knew he came here to do business with the King, but she had expected never to run into him again.

But she did - quite literally.

_"Me?"_ Killian looked at the blonde woman incredulously and gestured towards his uniform. "I told you my purpose - what in the bloody hell are _you_-"

"Emma!"

Killian and Emma whipped their heads to the voice that called out from behind them. The King walked towards them with a wide smile on his face and put his arm around Emma's shoulders. She tensed at his touch as she looked back at the navy officer in front of her, who looked bewildered at this sight.

_Emma?_ Killian thought, completely bemused by the intimate gesture made by the King. _What in the bloody hell is happening?_

"Captain, I'm afraid you haven't met my daughter," the King said with a proud look on his face. "This is Emma. Emma, this is Captain Killian Jones - a navy officer from King Midas' kingdom."

Killian stared at Emma in disbelief. _Daughter?_ The cloaked, dangerous blonde woman that was brandishing a dagger at the castle was the King's _daughter?_ He looked at the woman in front of him, who was wearing a long, simple pale green dress - an image completely the opposite of the rugged pants and muddy boots she was wearing the other night.

She gave him a hard stare back, her whole body stiffening with apprehension. _Don't tell him about last night,_ her eyes seemed to tell him, despite her straight, expressionless face.

Killian gave a slight arch of his eyebrow, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. _Oh really?_ His expression seemed to reply.

"It is an absolute _pleasure_ to meet you, _Princess,"_ the word stretched out of his mouth playfully as he bowed before her. "And what a _vision,_ your Highness. It is as if we have met _before."_ Emma cursed at him inwardly at the sight of the playful smirk that appeared briefly on his lips as he bowed, but at the same time she felt relief wash over her when he made no mention of their meeting the other night.

"Likewise, _Captain,"_ she drawled back, giving a little curtsy. The gesture only made Killian's smirk grow and Emma wanted nothing more than to punch away the look on his face.

Meanwhile, the King didn't know what to make of the odd tension in the air and he looked between the two of them strangely, before shaking his head.

"Yes, well I'm starving," he announced. He gestured at the hall in front of them. "Breakfast? I invited the Captain here for breakfast with us, if that's all right with you."

_Shit shit shit. I have to eat breakfast with this guy?_ "Yup, that's fine," Emma replied through gritted teeth. After glaring at Killian one last time, she followed her father to the dining room.

Breakfast could not have been any more infuriating for Emma as she had to endure the knowing smirk on Killian's face whenever her father addressed her. When it was over, she couldn't wait to leave the room and get out of the ridiculous dress her mother laid out for her, and get out of the castle in general.

She was stopped in her tracks when Killian "accidentally" bumped into her as she was leaving the room.

"After you, _Princess,"_ he gestured towards the door with a polite bow.

Emma ignored the smug look at his face when she huffed and strode past him without a word. She groaned inwardly when she heard his footsteps follow her from behind.

She rounded on him, unable to keep up her silence any longer. "_What do you want?_" she snapped.

Killian held up his hands in surrender, feigning innocence. "I'm just enjoying a lovely stroll, your Highness. Besides," he took a step closer, lowering his voice. "Is that how you should thank a handsome young Captain who covered up for you?"

Emma rolled her eyes. "If it weren't for your meddling last night, that meeting would not have occurred and I would not be in this predicament," Emma muttered, walking away from him.

"I gather that your father is not aware of your late-night excursions?" Killian asked with a raised eyebrow, still following her.

"Yes," she replied darkly. "And I'd rather that it be kept that way."

"Aye, I'll see fit to that," he said in his playful lilt, making Emma stop in her tracks.

Surprised, Killian stopped in response, careful not to bump into her. Emma spoke, her back still turned to him.

"Thanks," she mumbled. And she hurried off before he could make a clever remark.

Killian smiled and remained where he was standing. _So royalty do have manners…_

* * *

Night fell once again and Emma returned to the castle from her nightly visits to the village. She surprised herself sometimes, at the fact that she could keep up with sneaking in and out of the heavily guarded castle at such a pace. It helped serve her purpose towards her goal well.

She began to climb the usual wall to the gardens and perched herself on the top, ready to climb down to the castle grounds. Suddenly, she heard two voices approaching and froze on the spot. _Please please please don't come to the gardens_, she prayed as she hastily looked around her for a way to escape.

To her relief, she heard their footsteps come to a halt.

"Listen, Jones," the first voice said in a low, serious tone. "This queen's no joke. You have to stealthy and clever - but most of all, you have to get to the head first."

Emma cursed under her breath at the sound of her father's voice. But what infuriated her more was the sound of a familiar drawl that responded.

"Aye, I get the bloody snake head first and then use it on the Queen, then make a run for it," Killian replied in a bored voice. "And who is this Queen again?"

"The Evil Queen," the King replied grimly. "Regina."

Emma froze. The name coursed through her veins like ice, echoing inside her head. She was completely immobilized. _Regina. Regina_. It rolled off the King's tongue and sliced through Emma's skin, letting bleed out all images she had tried to forgotten. _Regina. Regina._ She couldn't believe what she was hearing; ten years has it been since she swore an oath to herself to seek out the carrier of that name and give her what she deserved. Ten years she has walked aimlessly on the streets, gathering everything she could about the queen, until she could finally find it in herself to carry out a plan.

And here she was, listening to her father say her name freely on the castle grounds.

_Regina. Regina._

"She lives in Wonderland," her father continued. "You'll find that it's a very strange realm and has its dangers - more than the usual kind, as it is under her control now. But trusting your expertise, I'm sure you'll be fine."

"And this Medusa thing - are you certain it will kill her? The idea of going after such a creature and risking my life and the lives of my men to cut off her head is not exactly pleasant," Killian said in a distasteful voice.

"It will turn her into stone forever, so yes. It's the only weapon I know that can defeat her once and for all." She heard her father hesitate before continuing. "My wife and daughter don't know about this. They'll go crazy if they find out what I'm asking you to do - they might even try to go after her themselves. So please - just keep this quest to yourself and to your men, and just go on with the cover-up I gave you, okay?"

Killian chuckled. "I doubt that I will ever maintain a long enough intercourse with the Queen and Princess to mention that, but I assure you that I will keep it to myself - for my own caution, too, of course."

There was a pause and Emma knew why. She could imagine the furious look on her father's face.

"Intercourse meaning _conversation,_ your Highness," Killian clarified with a hint of mischief in his voice. Emma rolled her eyes - she could practically hear the smirk forming on his face.

"All right. I'll meet you by the docks at the second sunrise," the King said. "Snow will be at an important meeting at that time so I could also have some of my men bring you all that you need to your ship. Let me know if there is anything particular that you may need."

Emma heard her father start to walk away before he paused. "I trust you, Jones."

"Aye, I won't let you down."

She waited until their footsteps faded away and scrambled to get off of the wall, blood pulsing through her veins.

_Regina. Wonderland. Medusa._ After all this time, it was all she needed.

A newfound feeling of determination and courage rushed through her, and Emma made her decision.

She started to climb down the wall.

* * *

Walking towards the gardens in deep thought, Killian ran his mind through the words the King had told him. It was going to be deathly struggle going there, but if it was going to help him acquire those beans and finally fulfill his lifelong goal… Well, it was worth a shot.

The sound of someone grunting snapped him from his thoughts. He looked towards the castle walls, where he saw - to his great surprise - a cloaked figure hanging on the vines plastered on the wall. Cautiously, Killian walked towards the person to take a closer look, and recognized the brown cloak and dark pants immediately.

"Out for a stroll, lass?"

"Wha-ow, _shit!"_ She had let go of the vine and had fallen face-first on the grass.

"Tsk tsk, language." Stifling a laugh for her sake, he offered her a hand to help her up, but she glared at him instead.

"What are you doing here? I thought you and-" she widened her eyes and stopped herself at her words. "Are you following me again?"

Killian raised his eyebrow at her. "Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but unfortunately the world does not revolve around you, Princess." He ignored her glare that was becoming dangerously more menacing. "I was going back to my quarters when I saw a body dangling on the castle walls so naturally, I stopped by to take a look." He watched as Emma groaned and pulled herself back up. "The real question is: what are _you_ doing here, Princess?"

"Going back into the castle," she replied simply, brushing dirt off her pants.

He scoffed. "Yes, I can see that. What I meant was - Pray tell me, your highness, where _do_ you go off to when you disappear at night?"

She walked past him without so much a glance. "None of your business."

Killian resisted the urge to growl at her. _Gods, this stubbornness of this woman will be the death of me._

"Just to refresh your mind, it was you, not I, who put yourself into this predicament," he reminded her as he walked behind her. "And you dragged me along with your little secret from the King-"

Emma rounded on him. _"Dragged_ you?" she hissed at him. "You're the one who played guard and followed me in the first place!" She jabbed a finger on his chest at the word _you're_ and shot him a glare, to which he returned.

"And _you're_ the one who snuck out of her castle, leading me to do just that!" Mimicking her, he jabbed a finger on her shoulder at the word _you're,_ causing her to gasp in fury.

"How _dare-"_ He stopped her from punching him by grabbing her wrist and shushing her. This made her all the more angry. "What are you doing-"

"_Saving your arse_," Killian hissed. "_Now shut up_." He nodded his head to their left.

The sound of footsteps could be heard approaching them, causing Emma to whip her head in its direction. Panicking, she dashed to the nearest broom closet, dragging Killian at her wrists. She closed the door and slumped on the wall breathing heavily, praying that nobody had heard them.

"Where in the bloody hell did you take us?" Killian hissed, massaging his hands when Emma finally let go.

"A broom closet," she replied, peeking through the door cracks.

"And you had to pick the smallest one," he muttered. Emma turned to look up at him and realized he was right - they were now standing chest to chest, both breathing heavily in the darkness of the closet, only an inch of space between them.

Killian stopped what he was doing and stared back down at her green eyes. He had to admit - although she was infuriating as hell, he was still a man and could not deny her beauty. And as he was now glued to her body due to the small space, he allowed his dislike of her to dissipate temporarily and gave her a lopsided grin.

"Hello there," he said breathily.

Suddenly feeling conscious, Emma averted her eyes from his flirtatious gaze and scoffed. _"Really?_ Must you always act like that?"

"And what would you rather I act like?" She felt her breath hitch as his voice became quieter; throatier.

Before she could reply with a witty insult, the footsteps got louder and Emma stiffened as she heard them pass the closet they were in. She let out a sigh of relief and leaned back against the wall before looking back at him. He simply arched an eyebrow and smiled lazily at her.

Rolling her eyes, she slowly opened the door and checked if it was clear before stepping out. Then she turned to him and gave him a mock bow.

"Well, it was nice seeing you, Captain," she said with a sarcastic smile on her face.

The dislike immediately returned - Killian really could not believe this woman. He had helped her once again, and still she chose to talk to him mockingly.

"Likewise, Princess," he replied with equal derision.

Emma ran off, not bothering to look back at him. She knew she shouldn't be so rude to him - given the fact he saved her from being discovered three times already - but she decided that she'll have plenty of time to thank him later.

After all, she had a certain Captain's ship to stow away on.

* * *

**A/N: **Guys, you have no idea what I have planned for you. I've just finished writing Chapter 11 & I'm so excited for how you guys will react to this story! Lots & lots of characters & history we're going to visit, plus lots of CS moments too, of course! :)

Next chapter is going to be pretty angst-y, as we learn a couple of things about Emma before the real adventure begins :)

**Replies to Reviews:**

HookedOnCaptainSwan - Today's the day! Ahh I'm dreading it too... Don't know how we're gonna survive this hiatus :"(

Honeydewmelon56 - Thank you so much! I try my best to make sure they stay in character but at the same keeping a little mystery between them.. So stay tuned as we get to unravel a little mystery about Emma next chapter :D

tate4eva - "_Is Killian a pirate or an actual Naval officer?" - _Haha that's the mystery, I'm afraid! You'll find out in future chapters :)


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **Angst-y chapter, but it's a glimpse of Emma's past. We finally realize why she is the way she is, and why she plans to stow away on Killian's ship.

**Summary: **Emma meets a mysterious blue-eyed Captain & they share an instant, mutual dislike for each other. But before she knows it, she finds herself pulled into one hell of an adventure with the Captain - much to both of their dismay. CS fanfic.

**Disclaimer**: All characters (except for the ones I made up) belong to Adam & Eddy's OUAT! :)

* * *

The next morning, she stormed into the dwarves' mines.

"I need swords - the best kinds. And I need it pronto," she declared. "And please, can somebody sharpen my dagger?"

It wasn't rare for Emma to visit the dwarves, but for her to be so abrupt and demanding - well, she understood their reaction. The dwarves just stared at her incredulously; all of them had stopped what there were doing. She simply dropped the covered knife on the nearest table and gestured for them to continue.

"Sorry. Go on," she said, turning to leave.

"Whoa whoa whoa, hold on there, Princess," a voice called out from before her. Emma turned around to see Grumpy running towards her, a stern look on his face.

He placed his hands on his hips, narrowing his eyes at her. "What are you up to?" he said suspiciously, eyeing the sack that was draped around her shoulders.

Emma sighed and looked up at the ceiling, slightly annoyed. "I'm stocking up on weapons, what do you think?"

Grumpy crossed his arms and continued to look at her sternly.

"What?" Emma looked at him, feigning innocence. She let out an uneasy breath when he didn't buy it. "Look, Grumpy-"

"That's Uncle Grumpy," he corrected her firmly. Emma tried to resist herself from rolling his eyes - ever since her mother met them, the dwarves were insistent on being the godfathers of Snow's children. And now they were insistent on being referred to as her rightful 'uncles'.

"Uncle Grumpy," she repeated. "I just want to put in some practice on better swords and maybe bring some along with me when I go out again tonight."

Grumpy narrowed his eyes at her. "You're not the only one with a lie detector around here," he said. "I smell something fishy and I know you're hiding something!"

Emma just smiled at him and patted his head. "Don't worry about it," she said gently. "I'm just taking care of some things. I'll be back tonight to get them before I go out." She turned to leave, but paused at the sound of his voice.

"Why, Emma?" He whispered. "Almost every night for ten years - why?"

She looked down at the floor, her mouth formed closed in a thin line.

"You know why." Then she walked out of the cave.

Grumpy looked at her retreating figure sadly, remembering how he held her as baby and taught her how to swing an axe for the first time. She was always such a bright little girl, full of energy and passion - although sometimes that passion brought out her stubbornness - a sight that brought warmth to everyone's hearts. She was the jewel of the kingdom.

Until the night that changed everything.

The words rang in his head as he watched her walk away with sad eyes.

"You know why."

Yes, little swan. I do.

* * *

She was only 14 years old when she strolled around the village completely alone for the first time in her life, with no guards to prevent her from further exploration. The thrill of the freedom that laid out before her was exhilarating - she didn't know where to start.

Yes, it had been wrong to sneak out of her parents' sight and leave the castle grounds without their permission, but she was old enough, wasn't she? After all, anyone would agree that 14 years old was old enough to be considered a grown woman. Nobody could blame her for wanting to have a little adventure of her own.

And what an adventure indeed. The sight of the people bustling around the cobblestone streets made her grin and clutch her hands together in excitement. It gets rather lonely up at the castle where she had no siblings to play with, and it was rare to find any other children to play with whenever she got the chance to. The girls often scoffed at the dirt she usually had smeared on her dresses, and the boys claimed that it was odd to have a girl play "manly games" - although privately Emma thought that they were just intimidated by her after she punched one boy who insulted her.

She continued to walk down the streets, occasionally peeking into shops that interested her. There was one that gained her interest particularly, so much that she decided to walk inside.

Gasping, Emma took in the sight that laid before her. The interior was even better than what was displayed on the window. Colorful wooden toys lined up on the shelf neatly, and painted on the ceiling was a sky that looked even more beautiful than what was outside. She ducked her head as two wooden birds flew above her, the sound of her laughter filling the room.

"Hello young lady," a voice said from behind her. "And what fancies you here?"

Surprised, Emma turned to see an elderly, kind-looking man smiling down at her. She smiled back.

"Just looking around the village," she replied. Remembering her manners, she held out a hand for him. "My name is Emma. What's your name?"

"It is lovely to meet you, Emma," the kind old man replied. "My name is Geppetto." He paused and looked at Emma curiously, suddenly noticing her dress. "Emma…?"

Emma widened her eyes and cursed herself for not bringing a change of clothing. She turned away quickly.

"Are you Princess Emma, by any chance?"

"No," she replied quickly. She continued to avert his curious gaze as she walked around the shop.

"But you do look a lot-

"All right, all right!" Emma couldn't stand lying, especially to the old man seemed so kind and gentle. "I am Princess Emma. But please, I-I…" She trailed off and looked out the window nervously.

The old man chuckled, understanding her anxiousness. "My, my, how the young princess has grown into a lovely lady!" Emma looked at him in surprise and felt a small surge of pride at the acknowledge of her as a "grown lady", despite the fact she had been discovered.

"Don't you fret now, Princess. I won't tell anyone you're here." Emma let out a breath of relief at his reassuring look. "But you see, it is not very safe out here in these parts of the kingdom nowadays, so I would advise you not to stray here very often alone."

Emma looked down sadly and then out the window. Must everyone think the world is too dangerous for her?

Geppetto watched the sad face on the young girl and felt a tinge of pity in his chest. Then he had an idea. He reached for something in his pocket and held it out in front of her. "You see, this here belonged to my sister when she was your age," he said with a kind smile. "There is a legend that it has protective magic in it, and will only respond to those with the purest of hearts. I have one just like it, too." Emma stared in awe at the necklace in front of her, a large blue pendant dangling from it. "You can have it."

Emma looked at him in surprise as he placed the necklace in her hands. "Really?"

Geppetto smiled at her. "Really. As long as you have this pendant, you are safe, Princess. And of course, you are welcome to come by any time to look at the toys - granted that you are not alone next time," he added with a knowing look. Emma looked down in shame.

"Thank you," she said with a big smile on her face.

"Papa?" A boy who looked like he was around Emma's age suddenly appeared from behind the counter. "There is- oh." He stopped in his tracks and stared at Emma.

Chuckling at the boy's sudden shyness, he gestured for him to come over. "Pinocchio, this is Princess Emma. Emma, this is my son Pinocchio."

Emma smiled at him and he blushed. "It's August," the boy muttered, looking down.

The elder man waved the nickname away. "Now nobody knows that the Princess is here, son, so please keep her little secret before she goes home. Of course, she will be going home soon, right?" He looked at her pointedly. Emma looked at him shamefully and hesitated before slowly nodding.

Suddenly, there was a sound of muffled shouting from outside, causing all three of them to turn their heads. On the streets were what looked like knights completely covered in black metal armor, and they seemed to be apprehending everyone that was walking by.

One of them took a man by the collar and lifted him up roughly. "Have you seen the Princess?" the knight asked in a gruff voice. When the man shook his head 'no', the knight threw him to side and turned to harass another person.

Emma's eyes furrowed. "Those don't look like the castle guards…"

Geppetto's lips formed into a tight line and spoke in a grim voice. "That's because they're not. Pinocchio," he turned to his son. "You know where to take her."

Pinocchio nodded and took Emma's hand, leading her to the back of the room. "I'm sorry, Princess," he whispered, looking at her through apologetic eyes. "It's not safe for you to be here these days."

They continued walking to the back of the house until they reached the kitchen. Pinocchio opened a small drawer and, to her surprise, gestured for her to go inside of it.

"Please trust me, Emma," he said. Emma gulped and crawled inside, and was surprised to see that there was more room than what it looked like from the outside. Pinocchio followed her inside and closed the door behind him, facing her.

"Listen - there is a door here that leads to the back of the house. You'll see a forest. Run in there and go as far as you can, until you find an orphanage. Stay there until I come and get you, okay?"

Emma nodded silently in understanding.

"Okay." He smiled sheepishly at her. "I'll see you soon, Princess."

Then he opened the door and Emma ran.

* * *

Emma ran and ran and ran, until she finally saw a small house appearing in her view. Assuming it was the orphanage, she ran towards it and banged on the door.

"Somebody, please!" she yelled as her fists hit the door repeatedly. But there was only silence. Breathing heavily, she stepped back and looked at the sign on the door. "Storybrooke Orphanage," it read in red letters. If this was the orphanage that Pinocchio had told her about, then why was there no one there?

She walked around the house, hoping to find somebody. "Hello?" she called out repeatedly. But she found that it was eerily quiet - strange for a children's orphanage. She noticed the broken glass on the ground and the damaged wood, and she realized - it was abandoned.

Then she heard it - so quiet that she hadn't heard it before, but she heard it then. A scuffle. She looked down below her feet and suddenly felt the hollowness of the ground below her.

She bent down and found a small crack, and used all her strength to lift up the board from below her. What she saw crouched in what looked like an underground cellar made her heart stop beating.

There was a little boy.

"Hello?" she called out to him. The boy looked up slowly at her with fearful eyes. He's just… He couldn't be any more than 8 years old, she thought to herself in disbelief.

"Are you- are you here to get me, too?" the boy whispered, eyes still afraid.

Emma shook her head and smiled kindly. "No. I'm here to save you."

She held out her hand and after much hesitation, the boy took it. She grunted as she tried to help lift him up.

"What's your name?" the young boy asked as Emma looked for an opening into the house.

Emma turned around and tried to look for a way to get into the house. "Emma," she replied. Aha! She thought triumphantly when she found a barrel under a broken window. "What's yours?"

The boy took her hand when she offered it to help him climb into the house.

"I'm Henry."

* * *

Emma was only 14 years old when she lay on the floorboards of the orphanage, lulling Henry to sleep as they waited for Pinocchio. She was only 14 years old when Pinocchio finally arrived, breathing heavily, to tell them that it was safe to go home. Pinocchio had given her a dagger when he had arrived - just in case.

She was 14 when Geppetto took Henry in with welcoming arms, and Emma promised to visit them every week - as long as the dwarves were with her, she had reassured the worried old man. And every week she did - travelling to their house with excitement bubbling inside of her every time for whatever fun they had planned that day. They ran around the forest behind Geppetto's house, calling their little excursions "adventures". And after every adventure, she would turn to Henry and ruffle his hair. Until next time, kid, she promised him after each visit. And indeed, there was always a next time.

She was still 14 when she finally started calling Pinocchio his preferred moniker "August" - although in secret, her and Henry called him Long-Nose while sniggering quietly.

She was 15 years old when she finally brought Henry to the castle to her parents, after a year of adventures with Henry and occasionally, August. She had begged her parents to take him in - to adopt him, because he was her brother, blood or not. And she loved him dearly.

She was 15 when they agreed to adopt him as their own.

It was unbelievable how full of joy she was at the age of 15. She was finally, finally no longer lonely - she had a brother and a very good friend that was just as good as brother as well. She even had the taste of what it felt like to have a grandfather - something she was deprived of for all her life.

The euphoria was never supposed to end.

Her childhood was never supposed to be stolen from her.

She was 16 when she, August, and Henry went on their last adventure.

She was 16 when August disappeared as a wooden boy in front of her eyes.

She was 16 when she watched Henry die in the hands of cold-blooded murder.

* * *

** A/N:** Sorry for the angst, but now we know a bit of Emma's history and why she's the way she is. Also, now we know why this fanfic is called "Until Next Time" :)

NEXT CHAPTER: Emma lands herself on a certain Captain's ship - quite literally.

**Replies to reviews:**

avasmom28681 - _"You are a great writer! Good story!"_ - Thank you so much :) I hope you enjoy this chapter!


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **It made me so sad to write this, but I had to! Hope you all enjoy it :)

**Summary: **Emma meets a mysterious blue-eyed Captain & they share an instant, mutual dislike for each other. But before she knows it, she finds herself pulled into one hell of an adventure with the Captain - much to both of their dismay. CS fanfic.

**Disclaimer**: All characters (except for the ones I made up) belong to Adam & Eddy's OUAT! :)

* * *

Ten years later, it took everything in Emma not to cry as she faced the sea of houses in front of her. She looked down to her side and stared at the empty spot beside her, tracing the marks that she, Henry, and August had made every time they sat there on Geppetto's roof. She let out a sigh, her breath slightly trembling at the memory of August threatening to throw Emma and Henry off the roof every time they called him Pinocchio.

_I'm sorry, Grandpa,_ she thought sadly as her hand absentmindedly grazed over the blue pendant that hung over her chest. _I'm sorry he had to be taken away from you because of me._

She sucked in a deep breath and bit her lip, willing herself not to let emotions get the best of her. Emma doesn't cry. Determination returning to her blood, she put her hand on her side and clutched at her dagger.

_This is for you_.

Emma looked at the house one last time before running.

* * *

The sky was still dark when Emma woke up and gathered her things. She smiled at the sack that the dwarves had left her last night, filled with the things she will need on her journey. It was more than enough. _Thank you,_ she thought as she walked down the quiet halls of her home.

When she reached the stables, she attached her things on her horse.

_"Ahem."_

Startled, Emma stopped in the middle of hoisting herself up at the sound of his voice.

"You don't usually leave at dawn," Grumpy observed with a frown on his face. He crossed his arms and furrowed his eyebrows at her.

Emma looked at him sadly. "I'm sorry, Grumpy."

_"Uncle,"_ he corrected. Even in a situation like this, he still insists on being referred to as his uncle. Emma had to smile at that. "Emma, seriously. Where are you going now? I can't keep covering up for you every time you sneak off somewhere!" He lifted his arms in exasperation, to which Emma giggled.

"It's something important," she said at last.

Grumpy sighed. "Emma, I understand that what happened with-" he paused and looked hard at Emma before continuing."-with Henry, but this-this constant obsession for tracking Regina down and looking for things- it has got to stop!"

Emma just looked at him indignantly. "Obsession?" she said furiously. "I thought you of all people would understand. In case you forgot, my _mother_ met you guys with a similar mission on her mind too."

Grumpy looked at her with pity, regretting his words. "Emma I-" he walked towards her. "I'm sorry, I didn't-"

He paused and looked at the large sack on her horse. _She rarely carries that much baggage with her._ Sudden realization dawned on his face.

"You're not going to the village, aren't you?" he whispered quietly.

Emma shook her head. "No, I'm not."

Tears started to gloss over his eyes. "And you're not coming back."

Emma walked towards him and put her hand on his shoulder, giving him a small, sad smile. "I don't know, Uncle," she said quietly. "I don't know."

"Why, Emma? Take me with you- take us with you. We can help-"

She shook her head. "You're not the young dwarves you used to be, Uncle. It's too dangerous other there. Plus…" she trailed off, looking far away.

"It's something you have to do on your own," he said quietly.

Emma nodded. "Yeah."

Grumpy put his arms around her and gave her an embrace, tears now falling slowly down his face. "I'll miss you, Emma," he whispered. "You may be a grown woman now, but... I love you, little Swan."

Emma bit her lip at the sound of her childhood nickname, and willed herself not to give in to the tears threatening to build up behind her eyes. "You know I'll be back, right?"

He nodded furiously, unable to speak through his tears, though Emma knew he didn't believe it. She didn't know if she believed it much herself.

"Tell the rest of my uncles I love them. And that I'll be back again." She pulled back at last and looked at him, wiped a tear off his face. "Don't make me cry too, old guy. I'll be back before you know it, okay? I promise." Grumpy nodded again and bit his lip before patting her shoulder.

She hoisted herself up on the horse and looked down at her uncle. It was so strange to see him so small and so old and so.. sad. "I love you, Uncle Grumpy," she said at last. "Even if you are really grumpy sometimes," she added with a little laugh.

Grumpy let out a choked laugh and wiped his face.

With one last look at him, her grip tightened around the reins and rode out the castle grounds.

In the stables, Grumpy sobbed into his jacket, unable to look at her disappearing figure. Deep in his heart, he knew he'll never see her again.

Just like that, their little swan was gone.

* * *

"My men have given you everything you asked for. Is there anything else you may need?"

"I believe what we have is more than sufficient, your Highness. Thank you."

Emma watched as Killian bowed before her father. _Shit,_ she cursed inwardly as she eyed the men surrounding her father. _How the hell am I supposed to sneak pass these guys?_

Then she saw it - her way into the ship. She watched warily as her father disappeared on his horse from sight. Tippy-toeing towards the edge of the dock, she looked behind her, silently praying that her horse had gotten back to the castle. She had little doubt he would - he was a smart animal.

Standing at the edge of the dock, she tightened the sack around her body and took a deep breath.

Then she jumped.

* * *

"Did you hear that?" Killian asked Smee, who shook his head in response. He could have sworn he heard a loud thump coming from somewhere. Shrugging, he turned around and walked away from the helm, watching his men who were raising the anchor.

He didn't notice the blonde head peeking from the edge of the ship.

* * *

_God,_ that was a mission.

She had to admit - she was pretty damn skilled. By some miracle, the heavens have decided to lure all the men on the ship to the other side, giving Emma the chance to quickly sneak her way below deck. Now she had a spot where she could comfortably hide and sleep, and occasionally eat, without worrying about anyone finding her.

But she knew keeping this up wouldn't last forever. She would get caught eventually - that, she was sure of - but all she needed was time. Emma counted in her head for a moment - it must have been around 6 or 7 hours since they first sailed. Was that enough time? How quick is this damn ship anyway? She silently prayed that it was fast enough so once she was discovered, it would be too far to send her back home.

Looking around her hiding spot, she wondered why the hell there were so many sacks. And boxes. She jumped into this room without giving much thought - plus the sacks looked very inviting - so she had only realized the room she was in. _Probably a storage room_, she decided. Hopefully nobody needed anything from here for the next two days.

Suddenly, her stomach growled, making Emma groan. She hadn't eaten since yesterday, plus she had forgotten to pack food - of all things. But surely this storage room had some room, right?

After much exploration, she found nothing - only sacks on sacks and boxes on boxes. About to resign to her fate, she jumped at the sound of voices walking by.

"...bread and sausages up in there, aye mate?"

"Aye, in a bit - but make sure ye don't drop anything again ye little mutt!"

Her stomach growled at the mention of food. Emma quietly walked towards the door of the storage room and peeked through the cracks to see if the men talking were gone. Seeing that it was clear, she covered her hair and half her face with a scarf and a hood, and opened the door slowly.

* * *

She was being risky and stupid, but she was hungry, damn it. Besides, the small room she snuck into was completely empty, save the piles of unwashed bowls and scattered food. Pocketing several loafs of bread hastily, she prayed everyone's stomachs were full so that no one would come downstairs for food and find her. All she needed to do was run back to her hiding place as quickly as possible and she'd be safe.

She turned around, pockets full and ready to leave.

Then everything went dark.

* * *

**A/N: **Sorry about the cliff-hanger! And so much feels with the Grumpy and Emma scene :(

Also, just to let you all know: I love happy endings, so... :)

NEXT CHAPTER: **We have more Killian POV, plus a surprising new character shows up... :)**

**Replies to Reviews:**

Honeydewmelon56 - "_Omg you added the name august in there! And noooooooo henry whyyyyyy :*("_

-I had to :(! I love Pinocchio/August, & I felt that Pinocchio would want to separate himself from the name Geppetto gave him as a 'wooden' boy!

Guest - "_My I am just getting addicted to this story already! Cant wait for tomorrow for the update and the midseason finale as well... Thanks for sharing :)"_

-The midseason finale was... wow, just no words for it but 'wow'! March 9th seems so far already :( and thank YOU for reading!

ChamberlinofMusic - "_I really loved learning about Emma's back story! It had me shedding a few tears. I look forward to more!"_

-Wow, I'm glad you loved it :') There will most definitely be more.

tate4eva - _"OMG! August and Henry! Nooo! Thank you for updating. It's nice to see what made Emma the way she is."_

-Ahh, I know right! So many feels :( No problem; thanks again for the review :)

* * *

Thank you all so much for reading! A new chapter will be up tomorrow, so please keep updated :)


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **Emma gets caught. Killian gets all sentimental with his lady boat. Annnnnnd we get to visit an old character! :)

**Summary: **Emma meets a mysterious blue-eyed Captain & they share an instant, mutual dislike for each other. But before she knows it, she finds herself pulled into one hell of an adventure with the Captain - much to both of their dismay. CS fanfic.

**Disclaimer**: All characters (except for the ones I made up) belong to Adam & Eddy's OUAT! :)

* * *

Ladies come and go, but this... _This_ is the love of his life - a lover truly worthy of his heart and soul. He was bound to her at first sight.

Killian looked around his ship, his gaze going back to the ocean. It felt so good to be back on the seas. He closed his eyes and breathed in the scent of salt water, the passion beginning to rise from his chest. If anyone asked, the sea and this ship were occupied the space for love in his life.

"Captain!"

Killian opened his eyes and frowned. Whatever the reason was for snapping him out of his reverie, it better be worth it.

"Yes?" he said in an irritated tone.

He watched as two of his men appeared at the bottom of the helm, both who seemed to be... Was that a _person_ they were dragging?

"Oy, Eric!" He gestured the man over and nodded at the wheel. "Take this for a while, will you mate?"

Killian walked towards the stairs and stood at the top, looking down at the two men in front of him with his arms crossed. The person they were holding had a sack to their head and was kneeling on the ground with their hands tied behind their back.

"What's this, Graham?" he demanded the taller man with a frown.

"A thief, sir," the man replied. "He was caught sneaking around below the decks, stealing."

"Stealing?" Killian's frown deepened. "I'll have no thieves on my ship. Uncover him."

Graham pulled the sack over the thief's head and untied the cloth that was tied around their mouth._ Or mouth area_, Killian observed, as their entire head was wrapped with a scarf - save their eyes.

A brief memory flickered through Killian's mind. _Why did this look so familiar...?_

Graham finally unwrapped the scarf from their head, revealing the thief.

* * *

He would have gasped along with his men when he saw who it was, but the only thing he could do was gape at the figure below him.

_The Princess was_ here,_ on his ship._

He was so flabbergasted that he could barely speak.

"Will you- stop- _let me go_!"

Killian managed to shake his shock away at the sound of her familiar, irritating voice.

"What in the bloody damnation are you doing here?!"

Emma shook off the men holding her and stood up, averting her eyes away from him.

He immediately sensed her guilt and hesitation, which bewildered him even more.

"Does King David know you're here?" he demanded, walking down the stairs towards her. She continued to look away and managed to give a slight shake of her head.

_No_.

Killian ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. "What- are- _bloody hell_, why are you here? Do you understand that your father is going to kill me?"

Emma finally looked at him. "No, please, don't tell him- don't send me back!" She looking at him pleadingly, which startled Killian, given her usual cool demeanor.

He let out a heavy breath and looked out at the sea, where the sun was now beginning to set. "I couldn't send you back even if I wanted to," he said grimly. "We are much too far from any land and there is no bloody way I am turning this ship back." Then he looked back at her, expression back to anger. "You didn't answer me, lass, _why are you here on my ship_?"

Emma looked down briefly before giving him a fierce look. "I'm here to join you on your expedition," she declared confidently, ignoring the murmurs of men that surrounded her.

Killian raised his eyebrows and looked at her in disbelief. "Pardon, lass?"

"I have a goal which happens to coincide with yours," she continued. "And from what I know, your ship is the best means of achieving it. So I decided to come along."

Killian stared at her in complete disbelief._ Had this woman gone mad_? To have her on this ship- with him on this mission-! The princess was a lunatic. The image of the King flickered across his mind. Oh yes indeed - he was definitely going to murder Killian if he allowed her to come with them.

"Oh no," Killian said, shaking his head. "No, no, _no_. You are not staying on my ship, Princess. The moment we stop on land - we're dropping the anchor and you along with it."

"No, I'm staying with you guys," she insisted. Killian heaved an irritated sigh and took a step closer to her.

"What part of '_your father will kill me_' do you not understand?" he said angrily. "And besides, even if the issue of the King was not present..." He looked at her up and down pointedly.

Emma frowned and crossed her arms. "You don't think I have what it takes to come along with you guys?"

Killian raised up his hands. "I'm simply saying, lass, it's a very, very dangerous world where we're headed. And well," he put his face close to hers with a small smirk on his face, lowering his voice. "I don't think you can handle it."

"Please," Emma scoffed, rolling her eyes. "You know nothing about my past experiences with danger."

"I'm sure you've had plenty, Princess," Killian said sarcastically, waving his hand. "But even I am unaware of what is to come. The risks are endless."

"Well, I have _will._ That has proved to be enough for me and my family in the past."

Killian looked at her face for a moment, slightly bothered by her words.

"Speaking of _will,"_ he said at last, erasing unpleasant memories from his head. "I guarantee you that I _will_ have you brought back to your father." Emma opened her mouth to protest but Killian wouldn't have it. "I am Captain of this ship and that is my final word."

Emma widened her eyes in fury and stepped towards him, and then-

She punched him in the face.

"What in the bloody hell was that for?!" Killian roared, rubbing his face.

Emma struggled against Graham's hold, who was now holding her back. "You deserve that, you-"

Curses that were worthy of a sailor spat out of her mouth.

Killian looked at her furiously. "Graham, take this bloody woman off my deck and keep her detained."

"Wh-what-no!"

Taking a step closer to Emma, Killian lowered his voice threateningly. "I will not have any misconduct on my ship, lass." Then he smirked at her. "I'll see what use I can make of you since you'll be here for a while. I do hope you enjoy being tied up," he added with a wink.

Emma glared at him and spat at his feet, to which Killian frowned.

"Lady indeed, your Highness," he muttered as he walked away, ignoring her yelling and cursing.

This was going to be one bloody hell of a trip.

* * *

Emma cursed until she ran out of breath, following Graham as he pulled her, rather gently, into a room.

"I'm sorry, Princess," he said with an apologetic smile as he closed the door behind him. "Captain's orders."

She resigned to her fate when he pushed her gently on a chair, feeling exhausted.

"You know, he's not really all that bad," Graham continued as he tied her hands to her back. "He has his reasons for being the way he is, and plus I do agree that he had a point. The King will kill the lot of us if we let you come along." He stood back up and looked down at Emma, who was glaring at him silently.

Then suddenly, to Emma's horror her stomach growled loudly, earning a chuckle from Graham.

"I'd forgotten you were stealing our bread," he mused. "I'll tell you what, your highness." He bent down towards her. "How about I untie you for a while and keep you company while you eat the food you stole, all right?"

Well, he had to get cheeky with the fact she stole the bread, didn't he? _He seems kind of nice though_, she thought. She remained silent and eyed him cautiously, trying to decide whether or not to trust him.

"I promise I won't hurt you or anything like that. I'll just stay here and take watch for a while."

_Truth._ Tension leaving her body, she nodded stiffly.

Graham smiled. "Good," he said as he untied her hands. She stiffened as his broad body bent over hers, his warm hands working its way through the ropes that bound her, careful not to touch her. Body contact wasn't her thing and it made her especially uncomfortable whenever men were so close to her like this, so she preferred personal space.

"So Princess, why did you decide to sneak onto our ship?" He asked conversationally. She felt his hands gently loosen the bindings.

Emma remained silent and kept her mouth in a tight line.

"All right, I suppose you're not one for conversation," Graham said in an amused tone. He bent back and looked down at her. "Finished. You can eat now."

She lifted her chin and glanced at him as if to say 'thank you', and rummaged through her pockets for bread. _God, I never knew it would feel so good to finally eat_, she thought as she brought it to her mouth. Feeling Graham's movements in front of her, Emma looked up at him as she ate. He was now sitting on a chair in front of her, watching her curiously.

"What's your first name, anyway? It feels rather too formal to call you 'Princess' all the time," he finally asked, leaning back to look at her.

Raising an eyebrow, she gave him an odd look. _What's up with all these questions?_ She told him with her eyes.

Lifting his hands up to surrender, Graham leaned forward. "All right all right, since you don't like speaking - despite all that cursing and yelling earlier," he raised an eyebrow at Emma who smirked inwardly at the memory. "I'll just talk instead. How about I tell you a little about myself, eh? How about that?"

Shrugging, Emma continued to eat her bread. _Not like I have a choice,_ she thought, feeling irked at the whole situation she had landed herself. Or that I really care anyway.

"So," Graham began thoughtfully. "Firstly, as you probably heard the Captain call me, my name is Graham. I least that I _think_ that is my name," he added in a low voice.

Emma looked at him and raised her eyebrow questioningly. He looked at her and gave her a mischievous smile. "That's for another day though, when you're willing to break out of your silent spell," he said playfully but gently, earning the first smile from Emma since she snuck on the ship.

"That's a girl!" he said with a laugh. Emma just rolled her eyes and continued eating. "Right. So where was I? Oh yes, I'm a huntsman. Not a navy officer like Killian there," he added at the curious look on Emma's face.

So that's why he's not wearing a uniform, Emma realized, looking at the dark green and brown clothing he had on.

"So why are you here?" she voiced her thoughts. Graham grinned at the sound of her voice.

"Ha, so the princess speaks!" he said, clapping his hands together with a small laugh.

It must have been 'make-Emma-smile' day because she did just that again. _Maybe this guy isn't so bad after all_. "The name's Emma," she offered at last.

Graham smiled wider in response. "Emma," he repeated slowly. "Well, Emma, I'm here for the same reasons you are. I decided to join Killian and their men here with a similar goal in mind. The Jolly Roger is the best ship I know from all the realms and it is the only one of its kind to have the ability to pass through both realms and worlds."

Emma frowned. "What do you mean? Aren't you able to pass through realms and worlds just by walking?" she asked. She was sure her parents have done that before.

He shook his head. "Not through water. You see, the sea has a magic of its own - and it doesn't like to be disturbed. When someone tries to cross worlds using the waters, they sense this as danger and well… You can think of some terrible things that have happened in the ocean."

"But why would they see it as something dangerous? They're just going to pass by and leave into the next world anyway."

"Well," Graham explained. "It is said that when crossing between worlds or realms through water, it causes the sea to divide itself. This disturbs the magic in the sea and temporarily weakens it, so the waters reacts defensively whenever it senses that someone is trying to cross."

Emma pondered on this for a moment then remembered Graham's mentioning of the Jolly Roger. "Then what about Jones' ship? What's so special about it?"

Graham shrugged. "Enchanted wood?" He looked around him cautiously, making sure nobody was within earshot before he leaned down towards Emma.

"But legend has it," he said in a low voice. "That a long time ago, there was a powerful being that ruled over the seas. A King, you can say. This King had magic and was said to have created the oceans in the first place.

One day, during one of his many visits on land, the King met a woman and fell in love-" he paused at the sound of Emma's snort. "What?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

_Of_ course_ the King had to fall in love_, she thought amusement. _God, why does every story have to have love in it?_

"Sorry," she said, clearing her throat and motioning for Graham to continue. "Go on."

He decided not to press on the subject. "All right. So he fell in love, but alas the woman was taken away by evil sailors who were envious of the King's power. The King was enraged and was about to kill them until-" he paused dramatically.

"Until what?!" Emma pressed on, clearly irritated. She was so engrossed in the story; it made Graham smile.

"Sorry, just had to do that," he chuckled before continuing, earning a glare from Emma. _"Until_ they managed to get away by crossing worlds. The act of crossing weakened the King's magic temporally, causing him to lose both his beloved and his power. Devastated and furious, he cast a protection spell over the waters, vowing never to let any ship cross between worlds ever again.

But alas there was one ship - a ship that he, the King, crafted himself - that was the only ship in the entire universe with the ability to do so. And the legend says that he used this ship to cross between the worlds, endlessly searching for his lost love."

Silence filled between them as Graham finished his story, leaving Emma in deep thought. She looked up at him at last, still confused.

"But then how did Jones get this ship? What does he have to do with it?" she asked curiously.

But before Graham could reply, a deep voice behind him spoke instead.

"Why don't you ask him yourself, love?"

* * *

**A/N: **How do you guys feel about me bringing in different fairy-tale characters from OUAT?

-I LOVE exploring new characters - plus in my opinion they add more to the plot, and can perhaps help w/ CS development.

How do you all feel about me doing this? Hope to hear from you all!

NEXT CHAPTER: Some funny CS moments and a bit of history on the huntsman :)


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** Thank you for such great reviews! I love you all!

-I really liked Graham's character and was really disappointed when they killed him off. His story and character have so much potential! That's why I included a bit of his backstory in this chapter.

-Also, a friendly reminder this is a **CS** fanfic hehe :)

**Summary: **AU & CS. Emma meets a mysterious blue-eyed Captain & they share an instant, mutual dislike for each other. But before she knows it, she finds herself pulled into one hell of an adventure with the Captain - much to both of their dismay.

**Disclaimer**: All characters (except for the ones I made up) belong to Adam & Eddy's OUAT :)

* * *

_Did he just call her 'love'?_

Strange, he usually used that word around women he was trying to attract, and the Princess was definitely not one he was planning to swoon. He wasn't sure what had prompted him to switch to his flirty manners and call her so, but seeing Graham converse with the Princess so casually roused something inside of him. Since when was Graham a talker, anyway? The last time he remembered, the huntsman liked to keep to himself below the decks unless needed, and was usually just a quiet observer whenever he was around anyone else.

_Am I being.. Envious?_

Killian shook the feeling off as he leaned casually by the doorway, remembering his irritation concerning the princess. He had no time for such silly thoughts and the glare on Emma's face reminded him of that.

"I'm afraid story time is over," he said, looking at Graham with a serious face. "You're free to leave now, Graham."

Graham bowed before the princess and gave her a smile, to which Emma returned, much to Killian's utter surprise, though half-heartedly.

"I'll see you around, Emma," he said before he left the room.

Killian arched an eyebrow at Graham's back. _Emma?_ First names, now? Shaking the thought from his head, he turned back to the princess.

"All right, so what to do with you?"he mused, walking towards her with a smirk on his face.

"Don't you even think of touching me," she growled testily, moving away from him.

"You flatter yourself, lass," he scoffed. "But I've no such intentions. Let's see-" he paused thoughtfully.

"Captain, we're needed on deck," a voice suddenly said from behind.

Killian looked at the plump man behind him, then a thought crossed his mind. "Ah, you can accompany good ol' Smee here." He put a hand on Smee's shoulder, who blushed deeply at the sight of the princess. "See that the Princess makes good use of herself, aye mate?"

Then with one last lingering look at Emma, he left.

* * *

Back in his room, the huntsman fingered his pocket watch, staring at the words engraved in it.

_To my dearest Graham_, it read in faint letters. He traced the outline of the letters, then moved his fingers toward the bottom of the watch where the shape of a wolf could be seen.

Shoving the trinket back into his pocket, he let out a sigh of frustration. It was the only hint of his identity that he could find. _Why couldn't he remember?_ As hard as he tried, the cloudiness in his mind simply remained, and he couldn't extract any memory than the one he had stuck in his head for what seemed like forever.

_That memory_. Graham's mind briefly went to the princess, whose touch had somehow caused him to think of that memory when he had held her bare wrists earlier. It was strange, but he was oddly drawn to the woman. It was in a special way that made him feel like she could give him the right answers.

No, it was not love at first sight. Nor was it an instant bond of any sort. It was something else, like an uncontrollable force or a magnetic aura that she hand. _Like magic, _he thought in a haze. Graham absentmindedly grazed his fingers over his chest. He wouldn't even know if it was love or friendship or anything else anyway - he couldn't even feel anything. He wished he could feel something, _anything…_

But that was why he was so quiet; so isolated from the rest of the crew on this ship. There was no sense of brotherhood or family in him. No matter how hard he tried to bond with the others, he couldn't feel anything.

And it was all because he didn't have a heart.

"I told you to do one job, huntsman._ One job_. But yet you've failed me."

Regina circled the man kneeling in front of her, grimacing at the sound of his struggling. _Pathetic._ He deserved it; he was the one who brought it upon himself.

The huntsman let out a gasp as Regina flicked her hand, causing the vine wrapped around his body and throat to tightened.

"Terrible, isn't it?" Regina leered at him. "To be unable to breathe. Well, that's how I feel, huntsman:_ I can't breathe_. I suffocate at the thought of that- of that-" she snarled at the thought of her victim. "-that _girl,_ who still continues to live even when I specifically instructed you to give me her heart."

She dropped her arms to her side and let out a breath of disgust at the man in front of her.

_"Why?"_ she demanded, moving closer to him. "Why did you let her go?"

The huntsman looked up at her pleadingly.

"I'm sorry, I-I-" he faltered, unable to think of a reason that wouldn't make her angrier. He simply looked down and closed his eyes, resigning to whatever fate the Evil Queen had for him.

Regina realized what he was doing and let out a yell of frustration. The huntsman was willing to _die_ for that brat. "Was it compassion? Sympathy? _Love?"_ she spat out the last word like poison.

"You're _weak,"_ she continued in a low dangerous voice. "I had high expectations for you, huntsman, but I should have known better given your history with the wolves."

The huntsman stared at her, eyes widening in horror.

"Please, don't-" he began to beg.

Regina let out a high-pitched laugh. "Oh I'm not going to do anything to your darling _wolves,_ my dear. Oh no. I have something even better planned for you."

She stepped close to him and shoved her hands inside his chest.

"If I can't have Snow White's heart," she growled, ignoring his screams of pain. "Then I'll have yours." She walked towards the huntsman, who was now hunched over, clutching at his chest. "No more compassion, no more sympathy, no more _love."_

The huntsman's hand instinctively went towards his pocket, where his beloved watch lay - an action Regina didn't fail to miss.

"Oh yes, dear, I know all about your _love,"_ she chuckled darkly. "And trust me, I'll take care of that for you, too." She grabbed him by his hair and pulled his face towards hers. "You see, huntsman, memory is a curious thing. It has the power to give us pain and destroy us, but it also gives us strength. And I'm going to take away the latter for you. You will forget everything; your whole identity erased. But I'll leave you a little present." She gave him a smile, which looked more and more like a snarl as she glared at him.

"I'm going to let you remember this moment - the moment I took away your happiness."

Regina pulled her face close to his and let the harsh whisper burn through his ears.

"This memory will haunt you _forever."_

* * *

Back on the deck, Emma was sitting on a bench, completely drenched in sweat and dirt from cleaning the barrels. She was beginning to detest Killian more and more for his stupid orders and jeers at her whenever she muttered profanities to him. But she had to admit: it was her fault and she did have it coming - for many reasons. Firstly, for stowing away on his ship without permission, which Killian liked to remind her about every now and then. And secondly, for demanding that she do something while she was on this ship. She couldn't help the latter; Emma had a constant need to be useful, and she hated sitting around like a damsel in distress doing nothing. She needed to keep herself busy and active at all times. That was just the kind of woman she was.

A funky smell caught Emma's attention, making her lift her shirt to her nose. _Ugh,_ that smelled disgusting. Busy or not, she needed to get rid of this dirt and grime off her right now.

"Hey, you men over there-" she called out to a group of men huddled at a corner. "Any of you know where a woman can bathe around here?"

But before any of them could reply, a drawling voice behind her ears, causing her to jump a little.

"Can't handle a little dirt? My my, so you truly are a princess."

Emma rolled her eyes at the sound of Killian's jeering voice, ignoring the sudden shivers that resulted from the closeness of his breath. Can't she ever get a break from this guy?

"I stink like hell from following your stupid orders. Is it a sin to want a little hygiene?" she mumbled back, standing up from her seat to face him.

Killian watched her through amused eyes and crossed his arms. He quite enjoyed teasing her about being a princess, despite the fact he knew she acted like anything but. "Just never took you for that kind of princess, lass." He turned to Smee, who had just appeared on the deck. "Oy Smee! Princess here would like to bathe. Get the little lady here what she needs."

"Little?" Emma snorted. Then she looked between Killian's legs pointedly with a smirk. "The only thing that's little around here is _you."_

Spluttering, Killian gaped at Emma who had followed Smee below decks with a smug look on her face. Unable to think of a comeback to yell back at her, he turned towards the group of men who were watching their conversation nearby. They were now sniggering at Emma's comment.

He sent them a death glare. "Something funny, lads?" Killian snapped at them. "Well, the spectacle is over! So _get back to work_ or none of you will have ANY thing of size to brag about!"

* * *

Feeling refreshed after her little sponge 'bath', Emma walked out of her room to look for some food. But before she could get any further, she bumped into someone, causing her to nearly fall. Luckily, the person grabbed hold of her hands before she could hit the floor.

"Ouch- ah shit-oh!" She looked up to see who she had ran into. "Graham! Sorry about that. I didn't see you."

But instead of replying, Graham was now staring at her strangely, his hand still holding Emma's from when he tried to steady her from falling. The look startled Emma, as he was now staring into her eyes with a faraway look.

_What the...?_

But before she could ask what was wrong, Graham turned and ran away.

* * *

**A/N: **I'm not really into love triangles, but it's funny to see Killian get a liiiiittle jealous over Graham.

Plusssssss, I've always had this headcanon of Graham being with _someone else_, considering his backstory….. :O :O :O :O ~~~~~

NEXT CHAPTER - we get some Captain Swan action har har har.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:** Thank you again for your reviews! You're all amazing :) Here we have a hint of Gremma feels - but this is not their story so there will be no love triangles here. Hence, this chapter will have lots of Captain Swan feels as well ;) Best of both worlds. Enjoy!

**Summary: **AU & CS. Emma meets a mysterious blue-eyed Captain & they share an instant, mutual dislike for each other. But before she knows it, she finds herself pulled into one hell of an adventure with the Captain - much to both of their dismay.

**Disclaimer**: All characters (except for the ones I made up) belong to Adam & Eddy's OUAT :)

* * *

_The pocket watch. Warm hands. Familiar laughter. Wolves. Red coat. Red lips._

His mind felt like it was going to explode.

Graham knew he shouldn't have ran off like that from Emma - she probably thought he was going insane by now - but... It blew his mind. As soon as he had touched her bare hands, a flash of images ran through his mind - as if her touch triggered something inside of him. Although they were only snippets of the real thing, Graham still felt overwhelmed by it all.

And deep inside, he felt- no, he _knew_ these images were real. That they had happened before.

He knew that they were the memories Regina took from him.

* * *

Emma stood in front of Graham's door warily before knocking on it. She hoped he was all right - throughout the couple of days she was stuck on this ship, he was beginning to grow on her along with some of the other men, so it bothered her to see him act so strange and bothered.

No answer.

She knocked again after a moment of hesitation._ If he doesn't respond, I'll leave_, she decided.

"Come in," a voice said at last.

Slowly, Emma opened the door and walked in. Graham was sitting on his bed and when he saw her, he gave a smile. Emma felt relief wash over her body. _Good. He's all right._

"Just came to check up on you," Emma explained. "Something wrong?"

He looked away, a worried crease forming on his forehead. "Nothing," he mumbled, looking conflicted. Then he looked at her, the strange faraway look back in his eyes. "It's just…"

"Hey, it's all right. You can talk to me," Emma said reassuringly, walking closer to him.

Closing his eyes, he nodded. "You remember when I told you that I had a similar goal in mind when I joined Killian and his crew?" he asked her. Emma nodded.

"Well," he continued. "I'm also here for the Evil Queen. She has… Something of mine, and I intend on getting it back, along with a few answers to the questions burning in my mind."

Emma looked at him pitifully, feeling his pain. _How many lives has Regina ruined?_

"What does she have from you?" she asked in a lowered voice.

Graham looked at her hesitantly, his hand subconsciously reaching for his chest._ Should he say it?_ He wasn't sure if he should tell her exactly what the Evil Queen got from him - she might think he was either a madman or a dark, evil creature himself due to his lack of heart.

"My memories," he replied at last. "She took away my memories, except for the actual memory of her taking them. I guess she wanted me to suffer in that way."

"But why? Why did she take them?"

Graham darted his eyes towards her. "That's the thing-_ I can't remember why_!" he yelled, lifting his arms in frustration. "All I remember is her angry at me for not doing a job and her taking them!"

Startled at his sudden burst of anger, Emma stood up and then inched closer to him. "Hey," she said softly. "You'll get your memories back, okay? You'll get to the Evil Queen and she'll be scared as hell at the sight of you." She gave a mischievous smile at the doubtful glance he gave. "So scared, that she'll have to give back your memories."

Graham let out a laugh, much to Emma's relief. She looked at him, a familiar feeling washing over her. He looks so old yet so young. And so scared, she realized as she saw the tired look in his eyes. He reminded her of someone, a close someone from a long time ago…

Her heart tinged at the memory of the person. _He kind of reminds me of August,_ she thought wistfully. It was strange but he did - and she felt the same sisterly pull towards him whenever she talked to him. He seemed like the type to be an annoyingly protective brother like August too, Emma thought with a small smile on his face. Brother. That sounded like a really nice thing to have after such a long time.

Little did she know that he too was thinking the same thing. Graham looked at her curiously, a strange yet familiar tinge in the empty hole in his chest slowly growing.

For the first time since the ripping away of his heart, the huntsman felt a bond of friendship.

* * *

It has been four days since they have raised the anchor from the White Kingdom.

Killian looked out beyond the ocean - if he calculated correctly, it should be at least two more days until they reached their first destination. That is, if the seas continued to fare in their favour as they have done for the past four days.

Although it was truly a blessing, something stirred inside Killian as he pondered on the conditions of their journey thus far. It has been surprisingly smooth and the weather had treated them very well, but Killian knew better than to relax and enjoy the good fortunes blessed upon them. It was not his first time travelling around these parts, hence he was well aware of the dangers that they may encounter.

Indeed, he felt a little more confident at the fact that their first destination would be a place he was familiar with, but he couldn't ignore the growing apprehension of the destinations that follow. After this realm, he had no idea of how the following lands will be like. As the King had reminded Killian many times, they were under territories that even the great Captain Jones has never set foot on - and despite his usual cool and confident demeanour, that fact alone made Killian all the more anxious.

They will have to leave the Jolly Roger anchored at the first destination for a while, that was for sure. Killian felt a little uncomfortable leaving his precious ship for such a long time, but the ultimate goal would be worth it. He must achieve it.

Besides, it would make it easier to leave the Princess behind so she can finally go back to her bloody castle. The Princess…

_Emma._

_Gods,_ that woman was impossible. The mere thought of her boiled something in him - she was so bloody stubborn; he wondered why he hadn't thrown her off board yet.

He smiled at that thought, recalling the time the Princess had displayed such stubbornness while he was examining a map at the helm.

**_-_FLASHBACK-  
**

_"So,"_ she had said. _"Where are we headed first?"_

_"If I didn't know better, I would've thought you are coming with us,"_ he had replied indifferently.

He remembered how she ignored the comment and continued her interrogation anyway. _"Do you even know where we're going?"_

_"Obviously,"_ he replied in exasperation. What kind of question was that? He was the Captain, after all.

_"Not like that. I mean what's the plan? After this place, where next? What are we gonna do-"_

_"Princess,"_ Killian had said suddenly. _"Do you know how to swim?"_

_"What? No._"

_"Then if you don't shut up, trust me when I say I will throw you off this ship!"_

**-END FLASHBACK-**

Killian smirked at the memory, recalling ho she had huffed and stormed away without another word. Although she was truly exasperating, Killian had to admit that she did make things much more interesting on the ship. _Well actually_… He supposed that was granted, as there were 10 men and the Princess was the only female here.

But despite her overwhelming tendency to irritate Killian with her stubbornness and guarded confidence, she had somehow… grown onto him. He was beginning to tolerate her presence more and more each day and well, for some strange reason... He did quite enjoy bothering her whenever he had the chance.

And perhaps he could take that chance now. He walked down the stairs below the decks, where he heard the growing sound of laughter and the clinking of glasses.

To his surprise, he saw the Princess sitting at a table with a group of men, talking animatedly and… And…

He couldn't believe it. The Princess was laughing.

Emma was actually _laughing._

And not any kind of laugh - no, the well-guarded and cool façade the Princess usually had on her face was gone, and on her face was genuine joy. She looked so at ease, so content in the moment, and - _was she wearing a short-sleeved shirt?_ The entire image baffled him, and Killian couldn't help but gape at the sight.

For once, without the hideous glower she always had on her face, the Princess actually looked quite… beautiful.

"Well, well there. So the devil can smile," Killian finally said, leaning at the doorway casually.

The laughter and conversations suddenly died down as the men looked at their Captain. Emma seemed to not have noticed Killian until the room had quietened down.

"Oh hello there, Captain!" she said with a lopsided grin, giving him a rather sloppy salute. "And what fancies you here?"

Killian raised an eyebrow at the accent Emma had used._ Gods_, that was a terrible imitation of him. But he didn't make a remark about it as something else had caught his attention: it was the way she was speaking and acting that confused him.

He looked at the bottles scattered on the table before narrowing his eyes at her. "Are you- are you _drunk?"_

Emma grinned and nodded rather excessively, confirming Killian's thoughts. However, Graham was the one who spoke up instead.

"Aye, she had a couple of drinks, but she's all right."

_I wasn't speaking to you,_ Killian thought, slightly annoyed at the huntsman's voice. What was Graham doing here, anyway, having drinks with Emma?

The sound of a chair scraping snapped him out his thoughts, and he looked at Emma, who was now stumbling towards him.

"Actually," she slurred, raising a pointed finger. "I had way more than a couple." She slapped her palm against her forehead. "Ugh, that hurts."

Suddenly, Emma's foot hit a bucket on the floor, causing her to stumble even more. He doesn't know what makes him do it, but one moment he was standing idly by the doorway and the next moment he is rushing to the Princess' side, holding her steadily to prevent her fall.

"She's all right?" Killian shot a glare at Graham, who had also gotten up to help Emma.

Graham shrugged and bent down. "She seemed all right at first to me. Here, I can take her-"

"No, that will be fine," Killian replied shortly. "_I_ will be the one to take her."

Ignoring Graham's raised eyebrows, he lifted Emma's shoulder and placed it around his, and proceeded to coax her into walking with him. But she seemed to have lost all sense of gait as her legs ended up in a tangled mess whenever she tried to walk.

An uncomfortable feeling settled in Killian's stomach. He knew that she would probably murder him the next day but… _He had no choice_. Taking a deep breath, he slowly lifted Emma up and carried her - bridal-style.

"Wha-what are you doing?" Emma asked in a slurred tone, clearly struggling to keep her eyes focused. "Are you carrying me?" She groaned when he shifted her gently into a more comfortable position. "This is what my dad does to my mom sometimes," she said with a small giggle.

With that comment, Killian's stomach slightly churned._ Was she actually_ giggling?

"Aye, but unfortunately this is not for the same reasons, Princess," he grunted as he walked out to the hall. _Damn,_ was she heavy. He looked around and sighed. There was no way in hell he was carrying her all the way to her room if she was this heavy - it was his quarters it is.

He glanced at Emma, whose eyes were now curiously watching Killian's arms through half-open eyelids. Raising an eyebrow, he gave her a smirk. "Like what you see, Princess?"

Even in her intoxicated state, she managed to roll her eyes.

"Why don't any of you wear your uniforms anymore?"

He glanced down at his all-black, leather attire and back at the Princess, suddenly feeling uncomfortable by the question. True, he had replaced the uniform with something more obscure ever since they left the White Kingdom...

"We tire of them eventually, lass," he replied evasively, looking away from her.

"I've only seen you and Smee wear them. No one else," she mused, though she seemed to have thought nothing more on the subject.

"Oh?" was the only thing he managed to let out. They had finally reached his room. He opened the door and slowly moved their way in. Hopefully she stops asking questions, he thought when Emma had suddenly grew quiet.

"Did you know Eric is a prince and that his mother is sick? He's looking for a cure that can save her," Emma suddenly said, breaking the silence between them.

"Aye, that he is." Killian carefully lowered her onto the bed as she continued voicing her thoughts.

"And Graham wants his memories back. Everyone seems to have a goal around here."

_And what is yours?_ He wondered to himself, though he didn't voice his curiosity. It wouldn't be fair to interrogate her at such a state. He was, after all, a gentleman.

"You and Graham seem well-acquainted," he said despite his thoughts. He frowned deeply. Why did he have to say that? He shouldn't- no, he _didn't_ really care.

"He reminds me of my brother," Emma said with a nostalgic smile. "August."

This surprised Killian, and it oddly made him feel relieved at the same time. "You have a brother?" he looked at her but her eyes were now closed. A small tear had formed at the corner of one of them, and an unusual worriedness shifted inside his chest.

"I never knew you had a brother," he pressed on at the sight of the tear, letting the curiosity get to the best of him.

He knew that Emma could hear him, but her eyes were closed shut and she remained silent. _Well-guarded even when she's drunk_, Killian thought with a sigh.

Brushing a stray hair off her eyes, he watched as her breathing slowly evened, letting him know that she was falling asleep. It was… different to see the Princess like this. She looked so at ease and so peaceful - _innocent,_ almost. He snorted at that last thought - forget that, she was anything but.

She suddenly stirred at his touch, making Killian realize that he had been stroking his hair._ Have I gone mad?_ He thought to himself, bewildered at his actions. He had crossed a certain line carrying her up here, that he was aware of, as he knew that he should have just allowed Graham to take care of her in the first place. After all, the huntsman was more than capable of doing so. But there was something about the princess that made Killian feel unusually possessive, for the lack of words. She may be excruciating at times, with her unwavering determination to always keep that ridiculous mask of confidence on and her uncanny ability to read him well, but Emma… Emma was different, a woman unlike any he has ever encountered before. That was saying something, as Killian had met many women in his short life. And for that reason, he was strangely drawn to her. Although he had managed to read into her mind every now and then, but he wanted to know more. He told himself that perhaps he just lusted after her like any other woman, that he had a life goal to accomplish and that silly thoughts about a certain princess would just regress his efforts, but the nagging voice in the back of his mind told him otherwise. And perhaps the voice was right tonight, as he was now sitting in his room, the woman in question lying on his bed, his hand stroking her hair.

"Killian…"

His attention immediately went back to the sleeping beauty in front of him, as she was now whispering something.

"What's that, lass?"

"Good night, Killian," she breathed. Then she turned her head and fell asleep.

Killian. A strange feeling stirred in Killian's chest. His name sounded so light coming from her tongue; he had never heard her utter it before. He decided he liked it, and deep inside he hoped he'd hear it again.

He looked at her one last time before finally standing up to leave the room.

"Good night, love."

* * *

**A/N:** Yes, I left the Graham-touching-Emma-makes-him-remember-stuff canon (except no kissing between them, ahah)

-So much CS feels. I really enjoyed writing this scene. Also - he called Emma 'love" again :O

NEXT CHAPTER: Emma finds something very interesting in Killian's room, and goes to confront him about it. Subsequently she ends up finding a _lot_ of new things about him!


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:** This is a pretty lengthy chapter, but we finally, FINALLY find out Killian's story! Be prepared for some major Killian feels.

_-Reviews:_ Thank you all so much! As for the person who asked if Graham is going to be w/ a certain werewolf.. Haha can't spoil his story! Just wait & see what happens :)

**Summary: **AU & CS. Emma meets a mysterious blue-eyed Captain & they share an instant, mutual dislike for each other. But before she knows it, she finds herself pulled into one hell of an adventure with the Captain - much to both of their dismay.

**Disclaimer**: All characters (except for the ones I made up) belong to Adam & Eddy's OUAT :)

* * *

Emma woke up the next morning with a throbbing pain in her hand. _God,_ did she really drink that much? She had wanted to cheer up Graham by bringing him along with her to spend time with some of the crew with some drinks, but she hadn't expected to be thrown into a drinking game as well.

In the vain hope that it would help her headache, she moved her head to the side of her pillow. _Damn, that definitely did not help at all._ But she was temporarily distracted from her pain as she breathed in the faint scent of spice and rum.

She frowned. _That's not right_ - she doesn't recall spraying her pillows with spice. Or rum. _Why did this smell seem so familiar…_? Then a foggy memory began to appear in Emma's mind, and she yelled in fury inwardly as she began to remember what had happened last time.

The fucking Captain had carried her to his room while she was drunk. _Bridal-style_.

She would've entertained her fury and embarrassment if it wasn't for the searing headache growing steadily. _He better have some_ _medicine around here_. Since she was in his room, she might as well steal a couple of antidotes for her throbbing head while she was here.

Mustering up the strength to get up, she slowly lifted herself off the bed. She looked down at her body, letting a sigh of relief that she was at least fully clothed and that the insufferable pervert hadn't taken advantage of her drunken state. Hmm, she supposes she should give him a little credit - he had helped her to safety without doing anything inappropriate. Now that she recalls it, she vaguely remembered how he easily swept her off the floor and took his time to carefully lay her on the bed.

_God, this is so embarrassing._ Emma hated feeling like she was vulnerable and that she needed help. It made her feel weak. _Ugh._ A feeling in the bottom of her stomach let her know that the stupid Captain will never let her forget about it.

_What did I say to him last night, anyway?_ She prayed silently that she hadn't said that much - she was a pretty loud and talkative drunk - but the only things she vaguely remembers is mumbling a couple of things about Graham and Eric.

She sighs and decides to forget about it - she'll focus on getting rid of her headache. She finally begins to walk around.

His room was not how she expected it would be at all. She had imagined that it would be spotless and clean, and that the walls would be littered with swords and maps and other... Sailor, officer-y stuff. But instead, Emma found that Killian's room looked a little cozier than that. It had a whole lot more books and scattered papers than she expected, and there were only two swords displayed on wall, along with one giant map spread out on a large table.

The search for an antidote to her headache had been quicker than she expected, as it was just laying on his desk waiting for her. The Captain must have left it there for her, she realized, feeling more and more embarrassed at herself. When she ate the herbs, she felt a cool feeling wash over her, and her pain gradually disappeared.

She decides to explore his quarters - she wasn't quite ready to go upstairs and face the smug look that would be on his face. Walking around the room, Emma found out a lot of surprising things about Killian. After all, she had learned throughout her small adventures that people's rooms can tell a whole lot of things about their character. For instance, she had noticed that he had a pile of sketches stacked in a corner with a small golden globe on top of it placed in a way that let Emma know that he had made sure they stayed in their place. They must be of some value to him if they were kept so close to his bed. Curious, she walked towards the sketches and lifted the globe.

_Oho,_ Emma thought with a smirk as she looked through the sketches. _So you're the sentimental type, eh Captain?_

A picture of a beautiful woman with long dark hair and striking blue eyes stared back at Emma lay before her, and she wondered who this woman was. A girlfriend, perhaps? She traced her fingers along the paper, until she reached a small mark on the bottom of the page.

_"CJ,"_ she whispered, looking at the faint initials.

She flipped the page, wondering what other pictures there may be. But when she turned it, she saw something that made her heart stop.

There, lying before her were the words "WANTED" in large bold letters on the top of the page.

And below it was a picture of Killian.

She couldn't believe was she was seeing. "Wanted (alive) for mutiny against the great King Midas," she read, feeling her pulse increase more and more. _What the hell was going on?_

All she saw was red, and the next thing she knew she was storming out of his room with his sword.

* * *

_"You."_

Killian smirked at the sight of Emma as she stormed towards him but frowned immediately when he noticed the look of fury on her face.

And plus, she was holding a sword.

Before he could open his mouth to demand why she was holding his sword, of all people's, she shoved something against his chest and pointed his sword at him.

"What. The. Hell. Is. _That,"_ she hissed at him vehemently. Killian slowly took the paper she had thrown at him and opened it.

"Wanted? _Mutiny?_ Explain!" she jabbed the sword roughly towards his chest. "_Who the hell are you, Jones?!_"

"Firstly, princess, pray tell me- why were you in my room?! Looking through my-" he waved the paper at her. _"Private_ things?!"

Emma laughed humorlessly. "Well it's a good thing I did or I would've never found out that you are a- that you are a-"

She spluttered in spite of her anger.

"I am a _what,_ Princess?"

"_A_ _pirate!"_

Killian breathed in deeply and stepped back, willing his face not to explode, and pushed the sword away. He walked towards her and grabbed her wrist.

_"You,_ come with _me,"_ he growled, dragging her with him.

"What the hell, _no!_ Let me- let me _go-"_ she struggled against his tight grip.

Killian stopped and rounded at her. "You want answers, lass? Then I'll give them to you- just not _here."_ He looked around them pointedly.

Following his gaze, Emma noticed that some of the men had stopped what they were doing and was now staring at them in wonder. She must have caused quite a scene.

Killian noted this and shot a dangerous glare at all the men.

"Enjoying the spectacle, lads?_ Get back to work_!"

"Aye aye, Captain," the men muttered back as they hurriedly scattered off to their duties.

Killian continued pulling Emma roughly behind him, until they finally reached his quarters.

"So we're alone now. _Explain."_ Emma glared at him and crossed her arms.

"First, let me take this." Killian reached over and yanked his sword from her grip and placed it back on the wall with its twin. "And secondly, please do sit down as it is quite the long story."

Emma rolled her eyes and scoffed. "I'm fine standing," she stated stubbornly.

Killian sighed in exasperation and opened his mouth to begin, but she cut him off. "Wait. Before you speak, I want to know one thing: does my father know about this?"

He chuckled darkly. "Yes, the King is most definitely aware of this."

"But then why did-"

"_Do you want me to explain or not?_"

Emma closed her mouth shut and nodded at him stiffly.

_"Good,"_ Killian said. "Now that you finally closed that big mouth of yours, let us begin, shall we?" He ignored the death glare she sent him and instead looked at her dead in the eyes.

"I once had a brother named Liam."

* * *

18-year-old Killian was an eager one, that was for sure, as he could barely control the organ that was jumping wildly within his chest. They were going on their first mission. He repeated that thought in his head over and over again like a mantra, and it didn't help him at all in containing his excitement.

Indeed, it was his first expedition as Lieutenant, as he was just dubbed the title the other day, and _oh_ how he looked forward to accompanying his brother, the honorable Captain Liam Jones, in taking the role of leadership. It would be his chance to prove himself at last; to erase all insecurities of worthless and uselessness that he had carried after his father's abandonment.

Killian shook the dark memory away; he had no time for ruminating. He must focus on the mission. What was it again that King Midas had ordered them to look for?

"_It is a magical herb_," Liam had told him. "_And the King has said it would heal any injury and illness that soldiers may encounter. My brother, we won't have to worry about any deaths at last_."

It had been a odd revelation, the sudden emergence of a plant that can perform such miracles, but Killian trusted his brother's judgment. King Midas, known for his "golden touch", had been sought after by countless enemies who had plans of stealing the King's fortunes. So, Killian supposed, it would make sense that he was looking for such a herb - it may not only help the King's men, all of whom risked their lives protecting the kingdom from such enemies, but it may also help the King himself.

Though a strange desire to those who did not know the King well, Killian knew better. Young King Midas, although quite snotty and spoiled at times (_really_, Killian questioned his ability to be a competent leader sometimes whenever he saw how immature the youthful King was), despised his "golden touch". It had prevented him from touching anyone directly - including his beloved, Demodike, to whom he was betrothed. He had been longing for a remedy to relieve him of his "golden curse", as he preferred to call it, for the longest time.

Killian smiled at the thought of the King - he may be spoiled, but he had always shown a rare kind side to Killian and Liam, and they had developed a sort of friendship in their alliance together over the years.

"Oy Killian, snap out of it and look out towards the horizon won't you?"

Killian snapped out his state of reminiscence and nodded at his brother, taking out a small monocular. _Good form, Killian, stay focused,_ he reminded himself. He peered into the instrument and saw what looked like a strip of land.

He grinned at Liam. "Land ahoy, my brother!"

* * *

When they dropped anchor, Killian couldn't help but stare in awe at the land that lay before their eyes. At first it looked like a regular forest, just like the one they had back home, but when he looked closely, the trees seemed to have become brighter in their green colour, and the sky had transformed into a continuum of colours, ranging from a light aqua blue to a deep cerulean. He glanced at the water beside him, which had reflected the sky's beauty, but seemed to have its own luminescence despite the fact he couldn't see anything shining like that in the sky.

It was absolutely beautiful. And above all, it was… _magical._

"What's the name of this land again?" he turned to his brother, who also had the same look of awe in his face.

"Neverland," Liam replied, looking at Killian with a grin. "It's a different world of its own. Luckily our lady here can cross worlds easily or we wouldn't be able to ever find this place." He gestured towards their ship as he spoke.

They began to start walking, looking around for the path the King had told them about, until they stopped at the sound of laughter.

_Is that…_ children_ laughing?_ Killian wondered as he tried to look for the source of the sound.

As if answering his thoughts, a voice suddenly spoke from above them.

"Hello there." Liam and Killian looked up to see a boy, probably around 15, floating above them with his hands on his hips. "What brings you old men to Neverland?"

Liam glanced at Killian, who was eyeing the boy warily, then spoke. "We are on a mission from the Phrygia Kingdom," he said, gesturing between him and Killian. "And we are searching for a herb - a plant that is a remedy to any illness or injury ever known. It will serve as a cure to all soldiers."

The boy arched an eyebrow and slowly descended to the ground. "And what's the name of this plant?" he asked in a rather demanding voice.

"Dreamshade," Killian replied, raising an eyebrow at the snooty demeanour of the boy.

To his surprise, the boy's eyes widened and then he gave a little smirk, eyebrow still arched mischievously. "Well, _well._ Your King must be ruthless," he said. Killian glanced at Liam, who also had a surprised look on his face. "That plant is no remedy. In fact, it's quite the opposite - it's a deathly thing. It kills you as soon it touches your blood."

"Do you expect us to believe that our King would be so dishonorable?" Liam asked incredulously.

"I rule this land, so I should know what lies in it better than you old farts," the boy replied with a scoff. "If you don't believe me, then I won't help you." He then began to proceed to fly away.

"Wait!" Liam jumped forward, causing the boy to stop mid-air. "Please, it would be of great help if you could at least tell us where it is."

The boy crossed his arms and looked at the two navy officers below him, then smirked. "All right, if you must. It's up that hill over there." He pointed at the mound of land that lay behind the trees. "But as I warned you, it's a deathly thing."

"Thank you. Thank you very much," Liam said with a bow. "And may I ask what is the name of our helper?"

"Peter," the boy replied with a smirk. "Peter Pan." And then he flew away.

* * *

_It's a deathly thing._

The words of the boy had bothered Killian; he wasn't sure if it was wise to continue going after this plant. He voiced his concern to his brother, who had simply scoffed in response.

"Do you really believe that boy is the ruler of this land?" Liam had replied. "I believe in the King, not Pan, so we are continuing this mission, Lieutenant."

Killian remained silent after the formal address of his title - Liam's word was final, and there was nothing Killian could do to change his brother's mind. However the apprehension still floated in Killian's mind. He really didn't think it would be strange if a boy ruled this land - after all, weren't there outrageous stories of talking rabbits and floating carpets in other worlds and lands? Surely a boy ruling a land as magical as this one wouldn't be an exception. He sighed; he'll just have to trust the Captain on this one.

After what seemed like an eternity, they finally came to an halt in front of gnarled thorn bush.

"Is this it?" Killian asked, looking at the drawing of the plant his brother had brought with him.

"Aye, it most definitely is," Liam replied, taking out a small knife out of his leather pouch.

An odd, ominous feeling suddenly took over Killian as he watched Liam cut off a piece of the plant, and all he could hear was the sound of the boy's words ringing in his head

"Are you sure this is wise, brother? I can't help but to think of the words of the boy," he voiced his concern.

Liam sighed in exasperation. "Do you not trust my judgment, Killian?" He waved the plant in front of him. "I'll show you - this plant will do no harm and our King is telling the truth."

_"No!"_ But Killian was too late; Liam had already cut his skin with the thorns of the plant. To his great surprise, however, Liam was still standing in front of him, a triumphant smile on his face.

"See? Trust me in my judgement, brother. Now that annoyance illness I had will go away."

Killian grinned and walked forward to give his brother a tight embrace, the both of them chuckling. _So the King is not ruthless after all,_ Killian thought in relief. The boy was probably just another lunatic who inhabited this magical land.

"So we can finally go back home. What do you-" he leaned back to look at his brother, but he stopped his words at the look on his brother's face.

Something was wrong. _Why did he look like that?_

"What's wrong, brother?" he asked uneasily. "Brother? Brother? Liam!"

Liam had slipped from Killian's hold and was now dragging Killian to the ground with him, his hand clutching at his chest, breathing heavily.

"What's happening?" Killian shook his brother, who remained unresponsive despite his laboured breathing. "Liam! Speak to me, _please."_

Sobbing, he held his brother in his arms. Liam stirred, causing Killian to temporarily stop.

"What was that?" Killian looked down at Liam, who was whispering.

"Dreamshade," Liam had managed to breathe out. Killian stared at his brother through wet eyes, unable to believe what was happening before him. He couldn't understand - why did Midas sent them on a quest to find such a poison? And furthermore, the King knew Liam well-enough to know that he was sick and would test out the plant himself - so why did he send him on this journey regardless? Wasn't Midas their friend? Eyes burning with tears, he gently stroked his brother's hair. I will avenge you, my brother, he promised. Your justice will be served. Then slowly but surely, Liam's eyes began to close, his lips barely moving when the last words came out of his mouth.

"I'm sorry, Killian," he whispered.

Then his eyes closed, the last words of the only person in the world that meant anything to Killian, ringing through the Neverland air.

* * *

**A/N:** Poor, poor young Killian. Well we finally know his backstory. Hmm, who's "CJ" though...?

-Just letting you guys know, Peter Pan isn't going to be a big character in this fanfic. This is probably going to be the first & last time you'll hear of him (unless I change my mind for future chpts! Anything is a possibility hehe)

-Although I kept a bunch of things canon here (like how Liam generally dies of Dreamshade), though there WILL be twists to the stories.

* * *

NEXT CHAPTER: Killian explains to Emma the aftermath of Liam's death, & why his face is on a WANTED poster.

-Another **new character** joins their ship :D I wonder who it could be...


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N:** Sorry if I delay in updating but I tend to be busier during the weekends! So here's a lengthy chapter with an interesting new character that may join the ship ;)

Thanks to all for your reviews (: I love you all!

**Summary: **AU & CS. Emma meets a mysterious blue-eyed Captain & they share an instant, mutual dislike for each other. But before she knows it, she finds herself pulled into one hell of an adventure with the Captain - much to both of their dismay.

**Disclaimer**: All characters (except for the ones I made up) belong to Adam & Eddy's OUAT :)

* * *

As well-guarded as he may be behind his usual cool and confident composure, even Killian couldn't manage to hide the uneasiness in his voice as he briefly recounted the story of Liam's death to Emma, who listened with an expression on her face that was difficult to read. Of course, he had let out many emotional details that the Princess didn't need to know about, and had only told her the general story of his brother's death: _King, Dreamshade, dead_.

"The King I served was spoiled, unfit for a leader, and above all, a dishonorable man," Killian went on, his hands shaking with anger as he spoke of his enemy. "His ruthless mission for such a poison took my brother's life as its price, and there is nothing in any world that will let me forg ive nor forget the King for leading Liam to his death."

He looked hard at Emma and continued. "So I vowed to myself never to serve another King again. I took the ship and claimed it as my own, to which the rest of my crew had no protest to, after I had told them the atrocities of the King."

"So that's when you became a wanted pirate," Emma stated quietly.

"Pirate? I wouldn't be so quick to place labels, darling," Killian chuckled. "But aye, a pirate you can call me, for the sake of titles. But you see, I didn't commit mutiny for leisure, or for the conquest of treasures and thievery. No, Princess, I set out to take my revenge on him, and rather naively, as I should have known it would be impossible to return to that kingdom."

Emma looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"A long time ago, a sorceress placed a protection spell over that land," he explained. "Those who are loyal to it are able to pass its barrier, but once you have betrayed the Kingdom, you may no longer enter its premises."

"So there was no way you could enter it. You couldn't get your revenge," she stated.

Killian gave her a grim look. "Aye."

She pondered over his words for a moment before asking another question. "And my father - you think he knows how you can achieve it?"

"I _know_ that he knows how I can achieve. He was the one who sought after me, actually, after supposedly hearing rumours about me and my ship. He is well aware of my true identity, although I tried to conceal it from him with my old uniform at first. You see, your father made a deal with me - I'm supposed to procure a bean that will break through the protection spell and easily transport me to Midas' kingdom, but in order to do so, the King requires that I kill the Evil Queen first."

_It makes sense now_, Emma thought as she recalled the snippets of the conversation she overheard at the gardens. However she couldn't exactly wrap her head a good enough reason as to why her father would want to kill Regina. That evil woman may have ruined their lives in many ways countless times, but it was really odd that her father would choose to act on her right now instead of before.

She shook her head- she'll deal with that thought later.

"So all this entire trip-" she gestured to the space surrounding her. "The reason you're doing this - is all for your revenge?"

Killian nodded -_ yes, this is all for his reveng_e. He was robbed of the only person he had ever loved and cared for in his life; the only person who had cared for Killian and had been there for him since birth. Ever since Liam's death, all that remained in Killian's mind was _revenge_ - he had no room for anything else. And Midas - the King that he had truly once believed was a good friend - had been nothing but a selfish fraud all along. All sentiments of friendship had vanished since he discovered the King's true intentions. So Killian had decided, since the last breath of his brother, that it would be his lifelong goal to watch Midas die in the same condition his brother did.

"Aye."

Emma looked at him, trying to read his expression as his words rang through her head. The look of determination and will in his eyes looked so familiar that it made her heart skip a beat - it was as if she was looking at her own reflection, she realized.

_Truth,_ she decided after a moment of silence.

"All right, I believe you." She turned to walk out of his room, but was stopped by the feeling of his hand around her wrists.

"But wait - what about _you,_ Princess?" Killian breathed in her ear. "Why are you here?"

She stiffened and gently shook his hand off of her, back remained turned to him as she faced his door.

"Maybe I need my revenge, too."

* * *

Later that evening, Emma lies on her bed wide awake, still unable to sleep. Restlessness has taken over her, and although it was mostly due to the overwhelming information Killian had bombarded her with earlier that day, there was something else that had settled in her head... Something that had suddenly stirred something inside of her chest; something in the sudden cold night air that made her shudder with apprehension.

Unable to shake off the ominous feeling, Emma decides to go upstairs to the decks - perhaps the fresh air will clear her mind. She was probably just feeling this way due to the events earlier. After all, it was quite the blow to the head to be told all of that. She briefly recalls the grim look on Killian's face when he told her about his brother's death. _Grief,_ she names the look, and she knows the feeling all too well. And, she supposes, this new knowledge of Killian's true identity and his revenge changed her perception about him a bit. Despite the fact that he is still obnoxiously smug, Emma has developed… _respect_ for the Captain. And as much as she hated to admit any similarity, she now knows that they shared the same goal in life - _revenge._ And the taste of this knowledge felt strange in her head.

When she reaches the decks, she sees him looking out at the sea at the helm, and odd enough, she finds that she's not all that surprised. _Maybe Jones felt the darkness growing in the atmosphere too_, she thinks hopefully. _Maybe I'm not paranoid for feeling this way._

She walks toward him, watching his back hesitantly. She hopes that she doesn't disturb him as his posture made it seem like he was in deep thought.

"Something wrong, love?" he asks, his back still turned to her.

Emma briefly wonders why he called her 'love' again, but she ignores it and focuses instead on how much she hates the way Killian so easily sensed her apprehension, even with his back facing her.

"No," she replies, walking towards him. Out of the corner of her eye, she can see him watching her intently, clearly not buying her lie. She dislikes the way he looks at her - it's as if he can read her so easily, even when she's trying to stay guarded. Despite their short time together, he had managed to develop that rare ability somehow, and this really disturbed her. She hated being any kind of readable - it made her feel exposed and vulnerable.

Emma stands by Killian's side in silence, and watches the sea with him. It's the first time they were alone like this without any bickering, Emma realizes. _It's kind of nice, I guess. Even if he is a 'pirate'_, she thinks with a small smirk on her face.

They stood like that for a while, side to side, the only sound being the waves gently rocking the ship onwards.

"Can you feel that?" Killian asks suddenly. Emma looks at him in surprise; his expression was dark. "I can feel it in the air, can't you?"

She nods. True, the air has gotten colder than what she felt earlier, and an increasing breeze was now enveloping them. It has gotten eerily quiet, too. _So I'm not alone,_ she thinks in relief.

He falls silent again for a while, until she hears him shift beside her. Emma feels herself stiffen - she can feel his eyes watching her.

"Princess, I-"

"Captain!"

They both whip their heads in the direction of the voice that interrupted Killian. Eric was now running towards them with a wild look on his face.

"D-dead fish - they're every below decks everywhere. I-I don't know how- I don't know where - they just.. Appeared!" He raised his arms wildly and looked at them with wide, fearful eyes.

Emma turned to Killian. "What's going-"

She stops her words at the look on Killian's face. He has gone completely white and his eyes mirrored the fear in Eric's. This both bewilders and scares the hell out of Emma - she has never seen him like this before. He finally registers Emma's presence and puts a shaky hand on her shoulder.

"Emma, g-go below the decks, I-I'll-"

But before he could finish his order, the ship suddenly jerked violently, causing all of them to stumble. Killian immediately ran to the steering wheel, yelling at Eric and Emma as he went.

"Get all the men up here and working! Now!"

It all happened so quickly that Emma could barely remember what happened. The ship jerked again a few more times, and the waves surrounding it were growing in size. A strong wind had taken over the ship, making it harder for any of them to move around.

Emma grunted as she tried to help Killian steer the boat, although she did it quite blindly due to the rain that was now crashing on them. She can hear Killian trying to yell something at her - probably trying to ask her why the 'bloody' hell was she of all people stupidly decided to try to help him steer the ship - but the loud whistling of the wind drowned his voice.

Suddenly, the ship stopped rocking and the wind died down. It happened so abruptly that everyone was now looking around them cautiously, as if expecting another attack to follow. Emma glanced at Killian, who was also looking around him with his eyebrows furrowed.

"Captain, Captain!"

Smee ran up to them breathing heavily, a fearful look on his face.

"Prince Eric - he.. He.." Smee could barely speak; his voice was trembling with emotion and his hands were shaking.

"He what, Smee?" Killian asked quietly. He dreaded the words that would come next.

"He fell overboard."

* * *

_So this is what it feels like to die._

Eric felt the waves push him roughly, willing him to sink deeper into the water. He would have laughed, if he could. It was too ironic that the prince who loved sailing the oceans would die drowning in the seas.

An image of his mother's smile passed by his mind and he wondered briefly if she was proud of him. After all, he joined this expedition for her and only her, in the vain hopes that he could find the cure to help her live._ I failed on my promise, Mother_, he thought sadly. _I'm sorry I could not take you sailing one last time. I'm sorry I couldn't say goodbye one more time._

Soon his father visited his mind and Eric saw the first toy the King had made for him - a beautiful ship that had fit perfectly in his 5-year-old hand. He remembered when he helped his father and his men build that very ship when he was 16, and the day he was taught how to steer it. The wheel was so beautiful; what a shame that he could not touch it for one last time…

Eric stretched out his arm blindly, using up the last of his will and strength, and reached for the image of his parents that would never get a chance to reach back.

_I love you, Mother and Father._

The last thing he saw was his parents' smile.

* * *

He couldn't understand; why did he feel like he was pulled up? And above all, why couldn't he breath?

Ah, but this must be it. _This must be what the afterlife is like_. He had heard stories about floating and feeling like they were being pulled to another realm - surely this is it.

Eric felt a strong tug on his shirt and he moved his head to the right, willing his eyes to open. A faint silhouette could be seen beside him, and whoever it was, they had a strong hold to him. He tried to focus his vision but he could only see the silhouette of long hair.

_Are you an angel...?_ He thought hazily.

His eyes started to sting as he tried to open his eyes more. _I'm still underwater,_ he realized._ The afterlife guardians are taking much too long…_

He closed his eyes shut, and then everything went black.

* * *

"Prince Eric? Oh please wake up!"

Coughing, Eric tried to sit up straighter to get the water out of his system. He rubbed his eyes before opening them slowly, trying to see who had awaken him...

He blinked and stared for a moment, unable to formulate words.

Sitting before him was..._ A mermaid._

"Um, hi," the mermaid said with a nervous chuckle. "I'm Ariel."

Eric wasn't sure what was going on. Why was he on a rock with a mermaid -who, strange enough, knew his name-and most of all, if he had just died, then why did he feel so... _Alive?_

_If this is the afterlife_, he thought, _this is a very, very strange realm indeed._

He looked at her questioningly. "I'm sorry but.. Am I..?"

"Alive?" The mermaid giggled. "Most definitely."

Eric stared at her in awe."B-but.. H-how.. I-"

Ariel reached over and gently shushed him with a finger. "Let _me_ do the talking- you've been through a lot," she said. "I saw you fall overboard and I swam as fast as I could to catch you before you sunk in too deep."

Eric just blinked at her, unsure of what to make of that.

"I'm sorry I couldn't get to you earlier," Ariel added, looking down apologetically. "I was too far, but at least I got to you before my sisters did or you definitely would've been ki-"

She stopped mid-sentence and froze, interrupted by a sudden embrace by Eric.

"_Thank you_," he whispered as he held her closely. "For saving my life."

Ariel hesitated before slowly lifting her arms to hug him back.

For years she had dreamed of this moment, wishfully thinking of every possible situation that could lead to her being in his arms. Every day she had watched him from afar- from the first day she saw him building a ship, to the day he had sailed near her home- and each night that followed she wished that she could have a chance to speak to him at least once. She had thought that these dreams were only in vain - because how could a man like him ever look at her, the cursed creature that she is? But here he was, a prince embracing a mermaid, holding her like there was no tomorrow.

_He's so warm_, she thought as she hugged him closer, euphoria filling her completely. _Nothing like the ocean..._

To her disappointment, Eric let go. He regarded her for a moment, a worried look on his face as his eyes trailed over her tail.

_Oh no,_ Ariel thought in panic. _He's going to hate me like the others._

But to her surprise, he looked back at her face and smiled sheepishly."Before I ask how I can repay you, I must ask- will I be able to get back to my ship?" he looked around him. "I have an important quest that I must fulfill."

"Oh, of course you will!" she replied. She reached for the bag that was strapped around her waist. "But first I must send a message."

She pulled out what looked like a giant shell, put it against her mouth, and took a deep breath before blowing into it. Expecting a loud sound, Eric quickly covered his ears and braced himself.

But to his surprise, no sound came.

Ariel laughed at his surprised look. "It's a magical conch," she explained. "Humans can't hear it."

"Then what-"

He was cut off by a large seagull that had landed beside Ariel, causing her to look at him in delight and smile widely. "Only animals and mermaids can!" she exclaimed.

Eric watched, completely baffled, as Ariel engaged in conversation with the seagull. "Oh shut up, Scuttle," Ariel giggled as the seagull had apparently said something amusing. She glanced at Eric and turned bright red. "Yup, that's him," she wishfully, looking down bashfully.

"I'm sorry, _err..._ What's going on exactly?" Eric asked, still staring at the mermaid and seagull in awe.

"Oh! I'm sorry, Eric. Before he leaves, Scuttle here needs something from you that the people on your ship will recognize."

Eric patted his clothing and felt for his emblem, which was sewed on to his shirt. He quickly pulled the wet fabric over his head and ripped the part of his sleeve that held the emblem and handed it to Ariel.

"Here you go," he said with a kind smile on his face.

Ariel turned beet red at the sight of his shirtless figure and looked away shyly.

_Neptune must really love me today_, she thought as she briefly glanced up to the skies.

Eric watched as Ariel wrapped the piece of shirt holding the emblem around the seagull's leg. Strands of her long red hair slid down her bare shoulders and curtained her face, and Eric suddenly had the urge to push the strands away.

_She is quite beautiful_, Eric thought as he watched her laugh loudly and wave goodbye to Scuttle. He briefly wondered what his father would make of this strange encounter with the mermaid and he almost laughed out loud. Surely his father would approve of such kindness and selflessness, even if it was from the so-called "wretched creature of the sea".

He must have been smiling and staring for too long, as Ariel was now looking at him with an alarmed look on her face. Embarrassed, Eric cleared his throat and averted his eyes, cursing mentally as he felt cheeks get warmer. "Erm- yes, well _hmm._ So what's to do now?"

Ariel resisted the ecstatic giggle that was daring to burst out of her and shot him a wide grin instead.

"We wait."

* * *

**A/N:** Ariel was always one of my favourite Disney princesses growing up, and I've always imagined her and Eric to be young, innocent, and naïve. So I decided to give her a little part in this story :)

-Hmm, what do you think Killian wanted to say to Emma before Eric interrupted them?

* * *

NEXT CHAPTER: Emma, Killian, & the rest of the crew save Eric - though they have a little surprise coming along with him. What happens to the mermaid now?


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Killian is so whipped**. That's all I have to say about this chapter ;)

**Disclaimer: **All borrowed OUAT characters originally belong to the amazing Adam & Eddy.

* * *

_"Eric!"_

It took them less time to find the Prince than what was expected, thanks to the odd-looking bird that visited the ship with Eric's emblem. The sight of the seagull was baffling, but it made them feel extremely relieved to know that Eric was alive. But little did they know that they had another visitor.

"_What in the bloody hell is tha_t?!"

Killian stormed towards Eric with a furious look on his face, eyes shooting daggers at the woman that lay beside him. Emma looked at Killian questioningly then back at the woman and realized that she wasn't a woman.

She's a _mermaid._

She must have clung onto Eric when they lifted him up, Emma realized, looking between the two of them.

"Get that bloody thing off my ship!"

Eric stood up and held his hands in front of her defensively. "No, no, you don't understand. She _saved_ me-"

"I don't care if she saved you, mate, I will not have this- this-" he spat the next word out like poison. _"bloody mermaid_ on my ship!"

Emma looked at the mermaid behind Eric, who was now looking down in shame. She didn't seem like she was of any harm at all, and Emma was sure she wasn't - especially if she really did save Eric.

Speaking of which, why _did_ the mermaid save him? From what she heard in stories, weren't mermaids supposed to drown sailors and kill men? Emma watched as the mermaid fidgeted with her hair nervously - she didn't seem dangerous at all. In fact, maybe...

"Hey," Emma whispered, putting a hand on Killian's shoulder. "I think we should let her stay. Maybe she can help us."

Killian stared at Emma as if she had two heads. "Listen," he hissed. "That was no ordinary storm we just went through. It was a Black Storm - a bloody damnation that can only be caused by none other than those-" he nodded at Ariel's direction. _"-cursed_ creatures! We made a treaty with them a long time ago that they wouldn't harm us as long as we don't bother them, but from the looks of it, deals mean nothing to those bloody fish!"

Emma looked back at the mermaid, processing what Killian had said. As she had already decided, the mermaid seemed perfectly harmless - bashful, now that Emma thinks of it - and if that storm was what Killian said it was, then perhaps the mermaid was more than what meets the eye.

She looked back at Killian. "No, no, that's _exactly_ why we should let her stay - she can give us answers. Something tells me that she wasn't the one who caused the storm - maybe she could explain to us something about it. Plus, she probably knows _something,_ some information that could help us get back on course. She _did_ help Eric, after all, which is really weird for a mermaid. Don't you think that means something?" Killian didn't look too convinced, which made Emma sigh.

"I'll tie her up," she offered. "Interrogate her. Beat the shit out of her if she tries anything shady. Whatever makes you sleep at night, okay?"

Killian looked at her uneasily, clearly struggling internally with what she just said. _"Fine,"_ he growled, giving a deathly glance at the mermaid. "I admit you have a point. I'll trust your judgment this one time, Princess. But as soon as she's done her part, she's off my ship. Understand?"

_"Savvy,"_ Emma replied with a smirk.

* * *

Emma walks towards the mermaid, who was eyeing her tentatively, and bends down to speak to her. "Are you going to hurt me?" the mermaid asked nervously, glancing at the ropes in Emma's hand. "I promise you - I didn't hurt Eric, I tried to save him, so please, don't let me go just yet, I'd really like to talk to-"

"I _won't_ hurt you," Emma interrupts firmly, before giving her a slightly apologetic look. "But I _do_ have to tie you up if you don't want to get turned into fish food by Captain Jones over there." She nods in Killian's direction, who was watching them with a dark look from the helm. "It was pretty hard but I've managed to convince him to let you stay without any harm - only if you cooperate and answer a few questions, all right? Then I'll let you go."

The mermaid nods and glances at Killian suspiciously. _"You_ convinced _him,_ a sailor, to let _me,_ a mermaid, to stay on the ship?" she asked in disbelief.

Emma nodded and raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, so?"

The mermaid looked between Emma and Killian in confusion, then back at Emma, a look of realization dawning on her face. "Oh." She gave a knowing smile.

"What?" Emma asked, now irritated and slightly uncomfortable by the mermaid's knowing gaze.

"Nothing," the mermaid shrugged. "It's just…" she trailed off and looked at Killian with a curious expression on her face, then glanced at Emma again.

Emma decided to ignore the mermaid's strange behaviour. "Okay so first things first, err-?"

"Ariel. My name's Ariel," the mermaid offered.

"Right. Okay Ariel, before I ask you anything, I want to let you in a little secret. You see," Emma leans in closer and lowers her voice. "I have this ability - a kind of power, you can call it - where I can tell whether or not someone is lying. So if you lie to me, Ariel, I'll know. And what happens after won't be pretty for you. Understand?"

Ariel nodded nervously. "Yes."

"Good. So you see, our ship here got thrown off course due to a storm, which is really strange since our Captain apparently made a peace treaty with your people. Do you have anything to do with that?"

Ariel bit her lip nervously. "I didn't cause it, if that's what you're asking. I don't hold that kind of power." She pauses and looks around anxiously. "The only person who holds that power is…" she trailed off, averting Emma's eyes in shame.

"Is _who?"_ Emma pressed.

"My father," Ariel said at last after a moment of hesitation. "King Triton. He rules over this part of the sea and he controls the waters here as well, and he was the one who made the treaty with your Captain there."

"Then why did he break it? Why did he cause this storm?" She pulled Ariel's face towards her. "Look at me."

_"He didn't,"_ Ariel replied firmly, finally managing to look at Emma in the eye. "There is no way he could've caused the Black Storm because…" a tear left Ariel's eye, much to Emma's surprise. "He's gone. Not too long ago, something happened to him - one moment he was there, then when I came back home, he was gone. But I _know_ that someone must have taken him. He got a mysterious letter before he disappeared and was acting very strange after that. He wouldn't let me leave our home and he kept on hiding his trident, refusing to use it-"

"His trident?"

"It's what controls the waters he rules over and it's the only thing that has enough power to cause the Black Storm. The Storm is only done if the King believes there to be a threat to the waters or to the land near it," Ariel explained. "I think that whoever must have taken my father wanted the trident. They must be the ones who caused this storm - no one else." She takes a deep breath before finishing. "And if they caused it while you were approaching land, well… They probably didn't want you there."

"But who… Who would do that?"

Ariel shrugged and looks down sadly, probably thinking about her father. Emma stared at Ariel's face for a moment, taking in everything she had just said. The earnest look on Ariel's face screamed honesty, but Emma didn't want to believe it. The fact that it seemed like somebody wanted to stop them scared Emma, as much as she didn't want to admit it, and it didn't make her quest for revenge any easier either.

"Ariel," Emma says suddenly. "You're the King's daughter, right? You must have some power as a mermaid _and_ a princess, plus you're familiar with the land we want to get to. Can you help us get there safely? Can you do that for us - for Eric?"

The mermaid looked at Emma at the sound of Eric's name and then looked down hesitantly. "I-I don't know; I've only learned a little bit from my father…"

"Please." A look of desperation briefly passes on Emma's face, making pity settle in Ariel's chest. She looks around anxiously, trying to think of a way to help Eric's friends….

_The conch._

She looks up at Emma with a wide smile spreading across her face.

"Actually, I have an idea."

* * *

"I'll admit, Princess, I was furious with agreeing with you at first, but I must say - you are _bloody brilliant._"

Killian grinned widely at Emma, who gave half a smile back. True, he still hated the wretched creatures, but the fact they were now crossing the waters safely and faster than ever, all thanks to Ariel, washed away all unpleasant attitudes. He even managed to smile at the mermaid despite himself. Though they were sailing smoothly, it still irked him that since the ship was being maneuvered by an army of fish - courtesy of Ariel and her odd-looking shell - he was temporarily deprived of steering his beloved ship.

"Hey look," Emma said suddenly, nodding her head at Eric and Ariel's direction. "You think they actually like each other?"

He shrugged. "I suppose there is a reason the mermaid saved him."

"No," Emma presses on. "I mean, they _like_ each other." She looked at them pointedly once again, and Killian realized what she meant.

It was a strange sight to see the Prince and the mermaid like that, laughing and talking with each other. But now that Killian looked closely, it seemed that Eric always had an odd look on his face whenever he gazed at Ariel. _Well,_ Killian had always thought that the Prince was a bit of a naïve lad, but the look he had was different than his usual hopeful, dreamy face. It was as though there was no one else on the ship but him and the mermaid, and the looks they shared seemed so intimate that it made Killian uncomfortable. There was a word for this sort of thing, he was sure, though he could barely place it in his mind…

"Love?" Emma says suddenly, and he realizes that he had spoken aloud.

The words ring through Killian's head - the only love he has ever known was that of his brother's, which is what drove him to this day. Any other love was a stranger to him; he had no time for such nonsense and well frankly, he really didn't believe he was capable of such a thing either. After all, who could love a broken pirate with a thirst for revenge?

"I don't care much for love." He meant to say it as a statement but to his surprise, it came out in an unsure tone, causing Emma to slightly arch an eyebrow.

"Yeah?" She says softly, looking away from him. "Me too."

He could feel her reading him before she looked away, which greatly irritated him. How was it that this woman was able to make him feel annoyed, vulnerable, yet strangely… _safe,_ all at the same time? Though to his favour, he swore he could hear the slight hitch of breath in Emma's voice when she agreed with him, leading him to know that she was lying. He wanted to smile in triumphant - the Princess wasn't the only one with that ability. She was, as Killian had begun to learn, quite an open book.

But why? _Why lie?_ he thinks to himself. He looks at Emma, who was now looking at the ocean with faraway look on her face. He recalled what she had said to him after he revealed his true identity: "_Maybe I need my revenge, too"_. The words had baffled Killian, and it merely just fueled his growing desire to learn more about the mysterious Princess who had stowed away on his ship. They now shared something that connected them in a strange way, and he could no longer deny his burning curiosity.

_What is your story, Emma?_

"Fancy a steering lesson, love?" He asks suddenly, wanting nothing more than to distract himself from any more thoughts.

Emma raises an eyebrow at him questioningly. "Well it's rather useless standing idly around here," he continues with a shrug. "Plus since those fish are moving us, there would be no chance of you steering us into our deaths, so might as well." He smirks mischievously at Emma, who rolls her eyes in response.

"So you think teaching me how to steer is a good way to pass the time?" Emma asks with a look.

"Perhaps," Killian replies with a lopsided grin, slowly moving closer to her. "Unless you don't think you can handle it…"

He knows the Princess hates it whenever he teasingly belittles her abilities, but he also knows that she's well aware of what he's doing. So when she replies, it's either she really does want to take on his challenge or she's just playing along with his little game.

"Please," she scoffs, moving away from him and towards the steering wheel. "What's there to it?"

They spend a few minutes like that, Killian teaching Emma the basic coordinates and directions to turn. Occasionally they'd bicker whenever Emma questioned stubbornly about something that seemed plainly obvious to Killian, but he had to admit, the time spent was very… _nice._ He felt oddly comfortable being with her, a sort of peace that he hadn't encountered with anyone else for a long time. The insufferable lass must have really grown on me, he decided with a faint smile as he watched her read the markings they made on the wheel. Well, the Princess _did_ convince Killian to let the bloody mermaid stay on his ship, which admittedly, was a pretty impressive feat as he was as stubborn as the next mule. _Have I gone soft?_ He wonders when he finds himself smiling down at Emma, who was now smiling back at him.

_Gods, that's one hell of a smile_. It definitely surpasses her usual hideous glares, that was for sure. She looks down shyly at his gaze, which startles Killian yet sends a pleasant feeling in him. He had never seen her shy before, as the princess was always so well-guarded and outspoken, so her actions were certainly a surprise. A pleasant one, he decides - he liked knowing that he made her feel this way.

As he was already well-aware of, Emma really was a beautiful lass, and the fact that they were so close to each other stirred something inside of him. She's a challenging one, a woman nothing like the ones he has had before, that's for sure. But that made her all the more desirable, despite her stubbornness. Maybe he's grown onto her too, he thinks hopefully when her eyes flicker at his lips, and _maybe, just maybe…_

_"Captain!"_

Killian groans inwardly and quickly backs away from Emma, who now had an alarmed look on her face.

_What the hell was he trying to do?_ Emma thinks in panic, clearly flustered by the intense look that was on Killian's face and at the fact that it seemed like he was leaning in towards her. _Was he trying to kiss me?_ She wonders. _No,_ she refuses to think of it - refuses to _believe_ it. She will have none of that.

_Bloody hell._ Killian rounds on Eric, who looks between Emma and Killian with a slightly open mouth.

"I'm sorry, did I…?" He looks at the both of them awkwardly.

_"No!"_ They both reply in unison. Killian glanced at Emma briefly before storming towards Eric.

"What is it now?" he meant to say it firmly but it came out as more of a growl.

"Captain, _look."_ Eric points in front of them - what looked like a strip of land covered with a litter of trees.

They were finally here.

"_Land ahoy, mates!"_

* * *

**A/N:** Lmao, Prince Eric the Cock-blocker! Just had to add in a little CS shipper-y moment w/ the "steering lesson" ahah ;) Who's happy to see this CS development?

Also I may not update tomorrow or the day after as it's Christmas Eve/Christmas. But I will for sure on **Dec 26th**!

Thank you all again for your kind reviews & I hope you all have an amazing holiday :) Keep updated because there are LOTS of surprises coming your way!

* * *

NEXT CHAPTER: The crew finally reach their first destination, but alas Emma must depart from them, as Killian promised earlier. Will he be able to let her go so easily?


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: **As promised, here's a chapter for you all :) Ariel leaves & Killian gets ready to leave Emma... What's going to happen?!

-Also to make up for the past two days, I will post another chapter later on today!

-If you celebrated Christmas, I hope you had a great one :) Otherwise, Happy Holidays! Thank you for all your kind reviews :)

**Disclaimer: **All OUAT characters portrayed here are originally by Adam & Eddy.

* * *

Both relief and sadness overcame Ariel when they finally anchored the ship. She thanks her friends (which received a lot of strange looks from everyone, given that they were fish, after all) and swims towards the docks, where she watches Eric and his friends discuss something in serious voices. She recalls the way she and Eric had laughed and talked earlier - how she _wished_ she could relive those moments again and again and again - and how he had told her about his selfless quest to find a cure for his mother's illness. _How extremely valiant_, she thinks with a dreamy sigh. Then she remembers what he had thought of right after she expressed her desire to have legs like a human, something that brought a flame of hope in her heart:

_"This cure - it grants you your deepest desires. What if I can get it for you as well? You could be human, you could have legs, and we could…"_

_"We could what_?" Ariel had asked, looking at his face hopefully.

_"We could be together."_

Emotions began to swell inside of her as they did the moment those words came out of his mind - it was like a dream come true. To have legs, to be human, to be with _him_ - it brought her hope. She had heard it from stories before, that once you met your True Love, you would know without a doubt. And Ariel did know, and how wonderful was it to have known at last.

But alas, here she was, still a mermaid floating in the water, gazing at her True Love longingly. They would have to depart soon, and although there was still a flame of hope in her heart that his words were true, she couldn't help but let sadness overcome her at the possibility of losing him.

"Ariel?"

She looks up and her heart leaps at the sight of him. "Eric," she breathes with a smile.

"I have to leave soon," he says sadly. He leans down and touches her hand gently. "But know that this isn't goodbye."

Ariel struggles to fight against the tears willing to escape her eyes. She must be strong. "You promise?"

Eric chuckles and strokes her hand gently, gazing at her. "I'll come back for you. I promise."

With one last touch, he gets up and walks away, leaving Ariel to watch his back sadly.

In her heart, she knew he would come back one day, and that they would be together no matter what. That is what True Love is all about, isn't it?

After all, the Prince fell in love with the little mermaid, and if that could happen, anything else could.

* * *

"Hey." Emma bends down and gives a reassuring smile to Ariel, who looked like she was going to burst into tears at any moment. "I just wanted to say thank you - for all your help."

Ariel gives a shy smile. "It's no problem, really."

Emma smiles at her one last time and then gets up to leave.

_"Wait!"_ Emma stops abruptly and looks at Ariel questioningly.

"I forgot something," Ariel explains, then she pulls out what looks like two small shells. "Can you give this to Eric for me? It's a royal sea shell that connects with my conch, so as long as he's near the sea, he can contact me whenever he needs me."

Emma nods. "Of course," she says as she takes the shells from the mermaid. "But why does he need two?"

"The other one is for you. Think of it as a thank-you gift for keeping safe from the Captain," she adds with a laugh. "If you ever need any help and you're near the sea here, just contact me, okay?"

"Thank you," Emma says with a sheepish smile. She really didn't know what to say; she wasn't very good at expressing herself.

Ariel seemed to have understood this, as she said nothing more of it. But then she gave a little nod towards Killian and said something that baffled Emma.

"Good luck with him!"

But before Emma could even ask, the mermaid had already submerged into the water and swam away.

_What is with this mermaid?_

* * *

The triumphant feeling that he felt earlier gradually diminished when he watched Emma walk away from the docks. They had finally reached land, their first destination, completely whole and safe, but Killian found that he was secretly dreading this moment.

He really shouldn't be feeling this way - he knew that. After all, he was final in his decision since the first day he discovered her on his ship - he had to bring the Princess back to her castle, no matter how much he has grown to tolerate her. If he didn't, the King would definitely go after him, hence thwarting his goal towards revenge, and will most likely blame Killian for bringing his daughter to this hell of a quest. The possibility of being beheaded seemed very likely in Killian's mind, now that he thought of it.

_The ends justifies the means_, he reminded himself. Revenge for his brother's death was the only reason he was here after all - he wasn't going to let petty sentiments over a woman he had only known for a week to ruin his form. He will drop her at the next inn they find and send a message to the King as soon as possible, he decided.

"So what's next?"

Emma walks up beside Killian with her hands on her hips, scanning the strip of land that lay before them. He didn't dare to look at her, fearing of what will come next after he speaks.

"Nothing for you, I'm afraid," he says in a hollow voice. "You're not coming with us, remember? There's an inn nearby here in the woods-" he points at a forest that could be seen visibly in the distance. "I'll drop you off and will be on my way."

He walks in front her, trying his best to avoid her heated gaze, but she grabs him by the shoulder to stop him.

"Are you serious?" Emma looks at him indignantly. "Didn't you hear what I said when you asked me why I'm here? I'm here for revenge as well, so you of all people should know what I mean when I say I'm not going anywhere."

Killian tries to look at her with an expression as indifferent as possible and says nothing, shrugging her hand off and walking away instead. But the lass was insistent, as she jumped in front of him and looked at him straight in the eye.

"You and I - we understand each other, right? So listen to me when I say this: _I need to come with you_. You're here to get your revenge on Midas because you need to, so understand me when I say I _need_ to get to Regina."

The words rang through his mind - yes he did understand her, and her to him as well, but didn't she get it? The King would _murder_ him and if the King didn't do that, well… The journey was much too dangerous; much too risky. He had no real doubts about her abilities nor about her determination and will, but he couldn't bare to let anything happen to her at this point.

He didn't dare to look at her in the eye - he feared that it would be his undoing. "Emma, lass, I'm sorry but-"

_"Killian,_ _please."_

He wasn't sure what made him falter more- the pleading sound in her voice or the sound of his name coming from her finally, he slowly brought his eyes up to hers, and what he saw in them almost made him stumble. It seemed that Emma had temporarily let down her walls completely so he could read almost everything - her fear, her pain, her suffering, her need for closure that can only be fulfilled by revenge.

He saw a glimpse himself reflected in those green eyes.

And that was his undoing.

Killian didn't say anything. He simply looked at her and willed her to read his mind - she was rather good at that anyway. So when he kept on walking and didn't tell her to shut up or go away, Emma knew. Silently, he had resigned to whatever may happen to him or her at the head of their path, and by the lack of remark on her words, he had given her the signal that yes, she was coming along. And that he knew there was nothing he could do about it.

* * *

After walking in silence for what seemed like the longest time, Emma and Killian finally came to an agreement: as soon as they find a messenger, Emma will send word to her parents that she's all right and that Killian wasn't holding her for hostage. She was firm in the belief that her parents knew her better than to think that she would be so helpless than to allow Killian to easily kidnap her (_I mean come on, I'm stronger than you think_, Emma had told him in annoyance), plus she was sure that her parents were well-aware of her undying hatred for Regina. _It seems to run in the family_, she supposes. _They'll know why I'm here._

They stop in front of the entrance of the woods to rest, as Smee was complaining that he needed to relieve himself. Graham and Eric were talking animatedly near Killian, who sat quietly with a paper on his lap. It was a good thing there was only five of them (the other men were either guarding the ship or were off on their own terms), otherwise Emma was sure there would have been a riot over Smee's whining.

"So what's the plan again?" she sits down beside Killian, who was reading some sort of map.

"We must look for a compass that will lead us towards the hidden entrance to Wonderland," he points at a spot on the map for Emma to see. "Apparently we can only get it from a certain man of magic who lives somewhere near here, but I'm not well-acquainted with this part of the land. So first we must go through these woods where an old friend of mine will help us find the owner of the compass. He frequents at a well-known bar in there, so get your stomach ready for some drinks, love." He gives Emma a wink, who (unsurprisingly) rolls her eyes in response.

"And how will this compass help us?"

"It points at the thing you most desire. And since both of our desire right now is to find Wonderland in order to fulfill our revenge…"

"It will lead us right to Regina," Emma finishes with smirk on her face. She gets up and puts her hands on her hips, determination back on her face. "All right, so what are we waiting for?"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I'm here, I'm here, I'm here!" They both look up to see Smee rushing hurriedly towards them, fumbling with his trousers.

"Smee, we have a lady present here," Graham reminds him gently, nodding towards Emma, who looked rather surprised.

They all laugh at the red look on Smee's face when he looks up at Emma and in horror, looks slowly back down at his exposed drawers.

* * *

**A/N:** Ouch. Emma says Killian's name. Also, Ariel totally ships Captain Swan.

NEXT CHAPTER: Emma, Killian, Graham, Eric, & Smee make their way to the woods to look for the "old friend" that can help them find the man with the compass. However, they find more than just trees in the forest, as they stumble across a little problem that may cost their lives.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N:** I love Regina.

**Disclaimer: **OUAT characters belong to Adam & Eddy!

* * *

Magic, she learned, is both a cruel and beautiful thing.

Everyone wants a taste of magic. It can give you the flicker of hope during the darkest of times - the promise of a cure, the gift of eternal life, the spawning of wealth, True Love's kiss. The opportunities it provides are endless, and that is what makes it so desirable.

But what people often overlook is the fact that all magic comes with a price, and the price paid is never pretty. Magic, she learned, can take away your happiness at the snap of a finger, at the stirring of melted ingredients, at the wave of a wand, at the crushing of hearts. To know magic and to want it is to understand both its darkness and its light, and how the latter can never exist without the former.

Cruel and beautiful.

She, too, was both.

But Regina wasn't always cruel - no, once upon a time she was only beautiful and happy, and she once held in her arms everything that she could ever desire. She had a home, a family - she lived a dream that she wished she had never woken up from - until the day _that girl_ took it away from her.

She hated that girl - ever since her loud mouth led to that incident, Regina had lost not only her past love, but her ability to even have any prospect of love in her future as well.

_Why is it that she can never get what she wants?_

She looked at her reflection in the mirror, examining herself. Here she was, one of the most powerful and most feared sorceresses in all the realms, and now the Queen of Wonderland. She has everything she wants, doesn't she? After all, she sacrificed many things to get to where she was - shouldn't she be happy?

"What is wrong, my little Queen?"

She looked at the face that had appeared in the mirror and sighed sadly. "Why aren't I happy?"

"But you should be happy," the Mirror replied. "You are beautiful, powerful, and feared by many. And you have what you have been looking for all your life is right here in this castle."

She shot him a glare. "But why do I still feel this way?" she snarled. "I thought that bringing _them_ here would fill this, this-" she points at her chest firmly. _"Hole_ in my heart! Nothing has changed!"

"Perhaps it is because since _then..._ you still have not yet learned to love."

"Love?" she laughs shrilly. "What has love got to do with anything? Love is weakness - I don't need love to be happy." She turned to the window and smirked. "What I need is right here in this castle. That sea witch is going to prevent every ship from entering so that- that _prophecy_ won't be fulfilled, and I can finally do that curse and destroy their happiness-" she took a deep breath and sighed with a satisfied smile. "It'll be all worth it because I'll finally get my happy ending."

She looked back at the mirror but found that the face has now disappeared. _Where did he go_? She panicked to herself, banging on the mirror. "Daddy?" she whispers. "I'm sorry. Please come back…"

_What have I done?_

* * *

Later that day, Regina walked to the dungeons. _Hopefully there is some good news_, she thinks to herself. She was quite sure her little plan worked, and if it did not, well... that prophecy will continue to haunt her until she finds another way to prevent it from occurring.

_"So?_ Did you do it?" she asked the sea witch, who was standing over a pedestal with her back turned to her.

However, she doesn't turn back to face Regina when she speaks. "It didn't work," she replied grimly. "They managed to avoid the storm."

"_Excuse me_?" Oh yes - this definitely did not make her mood better. "What do you mean_ it didn't work_?"

"Something about that specific boat wouldn't allow the Black Storm to destroy it. I used all the magic I could-" then Ursula paused, her eyes widening with realization. "No, now I remember! This trident-" she pointed at the golden spear in front of her. "It was made by the first King of the Seven Seas. And there is a story saying that when he created it, he also created a ship - a special one. So perhaps this ship is the exact same ship that King made, making it null to the trident's powers."

Regina grabbed the sea witch's bare shoulder so she can face her. "So you're saying," she said in a low, dangerous voice. "That I helped you kidnap the merman, steal his trident, and_ all for nothing_? You're more pathetic than I thought, Ursula." She roughly let go of the witch and grabbed the golden trident from her, and began to walk away.

Ursula widened her eyes in anger and stormed after Regina - nobody speaks to the Sea Witch that way. "I did what you asked, Regina. I prevented every single ship that tried to cross the Third Sea - so give me my end of the deal." She lunged for the trident, only to find that Regina had disappeared in thin air.

"Oh no, darling," Regina sang, reappearing behind her. "You didn't stop every ship, so I'm afraid you're not getting anything."

This jeer seems to anger Ursula more, and she lifted her arms as if to cast a spell. However, nothing appeared.

Ursula looked at her hands in bewilderment, which were now covered in chains. "Wh-what…?"

"I may be much younger than you, sea witch," Regina laughed shrilly. "But age doesn't determine skill level, I'm afraid."

Ursula glared at Regina. "Listen, you little brat, you promised me-"

"Promise? Hardly!" She walked towards Ursula with a malicious smile on her face, and picked out a strand from Ursula's elaborately-styled gray hair. "Your old age has thwarted your abilities, as I can see," she continued. "You're useless to me now."

Suddenly, Ursula let out a loud scream, its sound echoing off the walls of the dark room, and she looked down at her chest where Regina had shoved her hand into.

Regina took Ursula's heart and held it up in the air, as if to examine it. "Hmm, how interesting," she mused. "It's not as black as I thought it would be." _Wait a second…_ She shot her eyes back up at Ursula. "Did you _lie_ to me?"

Ursula shook her head furiously, fear clear in her eyes. "No, never, I-"

"You liar," Regina snarled, her face getting closer to Ursula's. "There was a different reason for you wanting the trident, wasn't there? You didn't want to take the King's place in ruling that kingdom - you wanted something else, didn't you?"

The sea witch glances down to her right instinctively, but to her horror, Regina didn't fail to notice.

"Oh my- you _love_ him, don't you?" Regina let out a mirthless laugh. "It all makes sense! You don't want his _throne."_ She leans in closer to Ursula and hisses the last words out. "You want his _heart._ You want him to _forgive you_ - and maybe, you hope, he'll love you back."

The fearful look in Ursula's eyes confirmed to Regina everything - it was all true.

"Well let me tell you something, Ursula," she hissed, squeezing the heart in her chest. She ignored the screams that the sea witch let out. "_Love is weakness_."

She feels nothing when she watches the old sea witch crumple to the floor, screaming out the last of her breath. What Regina feels after, however, is fury at what the sea witch was screaming as she was dying:

_Triton._

"Die, old hag."

Then she leaves the room, not bothering to look back at the sea witch whose hands were still reaching for the floor, towards the imprisoned King who will never, ever know her love for him.

* * *

"Are we stopping yet?!"

The other four glared at Smee, who had now stopped beside a tree, breathing heavily. Though Emma couldn't blame him for complaining - they had been running away from the wolves for what seemed like forever, and the evening seemed to had only just begun.

"You think they're gone?" Eric looked around anxiously before bending on the ground next to Smee.

"Aye," Killian replied, then he glanced up at the sky above them. "However it is still a full moon, so I would not breathe so easily."

"Don't worry," Emma gasped as she finally caught up to them. "No one's going to be breathing easily after _that."_

"How is the huntsman doing?" Killian nods at Graham, who was now sitting on the ground with his back faced to them.

Emma looks at Graham worriedly. The whole evening had been such a blur that she could barely process what had just happened. Once evening had fell, two wolves suddenly appeared out of nowhere, chasing them left and right. Furthermore, as soon as they heard the first howl, Graham's chest started to ache strongly - it was a miracle that he was able to somehow run away from the pack of wolves behind them. Emma scanned around the dark forest cautiously before glancing back at Graham. Now that she thinks, it seemed that the wolves had a strange effect on him. Whenever they howled or they were nearby, he would feel the pain in his chest instantly.

As if mocking her thoughts, the sound of a loud howl was suddenly heard nearby.

Graham gasped and doubled over in pain, causing Emma to run towards him immediately. "Graham! Please, just hold on - we have to get out of here!" However Graham's eyes start to close instead, making Emma shake him roughly. "Graham?! Stay with me - _don't you dare leave us_!"

But his eyes only continue to close. Emma stares at him in horror. _Please, please, not him too, please_… She panics inside. But his eyes never open.

Emma holds him closely, willing herself to stay calm. She refuses to believe that whatever wrong was happening to him was taking him away. He feels so.. _Warm,_ she thinks, which was quite strange. _Why did his chest feel so warm?_ Emma pulls him back to look at him, then pats her hand on the breast pocket where he kept his pocket watch. She reaches into the pocket, trying to see where the source of heat was coming from, and then-

_Ow!_ The pocket watch was searing hot. _What the hell is happening?_

She tries again a couple of times, attempting to yank the watch out, but each time it seemed the watch was burning hotter and hotter. _Why is it that Graham wasn't being cooked alive by this thing yet?_ She wonders, then she gets an idea in her head. Maybe it wasn't the watch - maybe it was _Graham_ instead.

She reaches for Graham's faces and touches his cheek gently.

* * *

_The pocket watch. Warm hands. Red coat. Red lips. Her laughter. The way she looked into his eyes - ocean blue meeting earth-brown. The feeling of her skin, the scent of the cool forest air. The soothing melody of their howls, the beautiful shape she takes when she forms into-_

Graham opens his eyes abruptly, and looks up at Emma, breathing heavily.

_"I remember."_

* * *

**A/N: **Graham gets his memories back! :D

NEXT CHAPTER: It seems that Emma's touch caused Graham to get his memories back, causing him to jump up and lead the rest of the group to somewhere - or some_one_ - unexpected! Lots of things going on for all of you the next few chapters :) Oh & don't worry - we'll see more CS moments soon enough :)


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: **Sorry for the late update! I've just written Ch24 and things are getting pretty intense. I know following a multi-chaptered fanfic takes dedication so I want to thank all of you for your kind reviews & for reading :)

-A few new characters showing up in this chapter plus a BIG surprise at the end (please don't scroll all the way down before reading haha)

**Disclaimer: **Adam + Eddy = the amazing OUAT characters.

* * *

"_I remember_."

Emma stared at Graham, her hand still touching his cheek. _What was happening_? Just a minute ago, she was sure that the huntsman had almost left them, but it seemed that in a flash, something had caused him to jolt out of his unconsciousness.

Graham sat up abruptly and looked at her, a wide smile forming on his face.

"I remember," he repeated. He let out a laugh that startled Emma - one would think he was actually giddy. "Emma, I _remember!"_

However Emma wasn't exactly following. "What do you mean you remember?"

"Emma, don't you understand?" He placed his hands on each side of her face. "I remember _everything."_

She couldn't believe what he was saying - it was either the pain in his chest has taken over his sanity or he really was telling the truth. "You mean... You got your memories back?" She said slowly, completely thunderstruck by his claim.

He nodded furiously and jumped up from the ground, looking at the other men who were standing and watching him cautiously. Though they were temporarily distracted - in the background, another howl was heard once again, eliciting a yell from Killian.

"While I'm delighted that you've gained consciousness, mate, we really must go!" He urged them, nodding pointedly at the howl that came from their left. However Graham remained where he was standing, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration as if he was analyzing something.

"No, no..." He told them. _"No,_ we're safe! I know that sound." He gave them all jovial grin, to which was returned an incredulous look by Killian.

"Yes, of course you know that sound - it's a bloody werewolf! Now let's go - _Have you gone mad?_!" he bellowed after Graham, who was now running towards the direction of the howling. Killian shook his head in disbelief and started for the opposite direction so they could run, however the rest remained where they were, staring at Graham's retreating figure.

"What are you doing?! Have you lost your mind too? _Let's move_!" Killian yelled at them.

Emma looked at Killian and shook off the thunderstruck look on her face. "We're not going to leave him!" She yelled back in disbelief, looking at Killian as if he was crazy himself.

"So you're suggesting we commit suicide and feed ourselves to the wolves as well?!" Killian asked incredulously. "I've been in these woods before - those animals are ruthless!" _What in the bloody hell was wrong with everyone?_

"No, no - I think he's telling the truth. He really did get his memories back and he knows something about those wolves!" Emma said, pointing towards where Graham left. "I think.. I think we should follow him."

"She's right - I trust the huntsman," Eric agreed. Killian looked at Smee, who was now nodding furiously in agreement with the Princess.

Killian just looked between the three of them, completely thunderstruck, then gave in despite his protests. After all, he couldn't exactly go on this journey completely alone. _She better be right_, he thought furiously as he followed them, running behind Graham.

* * *

Graham ran and ran, following the sweet melody of the howling. _I could smell them_, he thought with a smile. _I could remember them_.

_"Graham!"_

He quickly glanced behind him as he ran and saw Emma, who had running behind her the rest of the men. _Good,_ Graham thought in relief. _They believed me._ He really didn't expect them too - after all, the sudden gaining of his memories back left him in complete shock as well, and his behaviour after doing so must have made him look like quite the madman. He would've thought he was insane himself too, if it weren't for the fact he remembered everything now. But he knew that sound and was certain it was _him,_ so he followed his hunter instincts and ran off.

He finally came to a halt in front of a clearing. Nothing could be seen except what looked like a circle of boulders surrounding grass-less ground._ The smell of the wolves stopped here_, he thought in confusion. But why was it empty?

The sound of a low growl from his right answered his question, and the huntsman squinted his eyes at the figure that had emerged from the darkness. A wolf who was easily twice the size of the average man slowly appeared from behind a tree, baring its teeth at him.

Emma, Killian, Eric, and Smee finally caught up to Graham, all breathing heavily. They stared with wide eyes at the sight of the wolf.

"Mate..." Killian whispered as Graham was now slowly making his way towards the wolf. "_What in the bloody hell are you doing?_"

Graham didn't reply, however, and simply continued walking slowly to the wolf. Remaining in its spot, the animal watched the huntsman, still growling.

"Do you remember me?" Graham suddenly said to the wolf. He slowly reached for his breast pocket, which only seemed to anger the animal more as it now growled even louder.

"Graham, what are you doing?!" Eric whispered loudly from behind. Again, the huntsman ignored him, and continued his interaction with the wolf.

Not breaking eye contact with the wolf, Graham made his way slowly into his pocket, pulling out what seemed like his pocket watch. He lifted it up and held it in front of him for the wolf to see.

"See?" Graham said, and to everyone's bewilderment, the huntsman smiled. "I'm not here to hurt you."

It all happened quickly - as soon as the wolf saw the watch and the words came out of Graham's mouth, a strong wind overcame them, and they opened their eyes to see standing in front of them not a wolf, but a man who looked like he was in his early 30's.

"Remus!"

As if the sight could get any more bizarre - Graham had now ran towards the stranger and gave him a strong hug, to which the man returned.

"Graham! Wh-what are you doing here?! We thought you had died," the man exclaimed. He pulled back and gave Graham a tearful smile before going back for another embrace.

"No, my brother, I am most definitely alive," Graham replied with a chuckle. He pulled back and gave the man a grin. "Where are the others?"

"In the cabins back there," the man pointed at behind him. "Forgive me," he looked at Graham apologetically. "I had not recognized you when I saw you. I thought you were another Black Guard."

The huntsman looked at him questioningly. "Black Guard? Why would they be here?"

Remus gave him a grave look in return and placed a hand on Graham's shoulder. "You have missed many things, brother. A lot of things happened while you were absent, I'm afraid."

Killian looked between the two men incredulously, still completely bewildered by what had just happened. However it seemed that Emma was right - the huntsman seemed to truly have gotten his memories back and somehow knew the wolf that was trying to eat them alive earlier. In fact, he had called him _brother_ - what the bloody hell was that all about? Killian was an impatient bloke, and had no time for heartwarming reunions. He wanted to know what was going on and why the wolves were chasing them - and he wanted to know now.

"I'm sorry but as pleasant as this may all may be," he yelled after Graham and the man. "Will someone please explain what is going on?"

Remus looked at Killian and at the others, clearly having just realized their presence just now. He glanced at Emma's dagger and Killian's sword in distaste and looked back at Graham.

"Who are they?" He asked, mistrust written on his expression.

"My friends," he replied with a smile. "Come, this is my good friend Remus and he will help us!" He motioned for the others to follow him, though they responded with reluctance.

They walked in silence behind Graham and Remus, who were speaking in hushed voices. Every now and then, the others exchanged silent glances. The same thought crossed their minds - _what was going on_? Though they were to get their answers soon, as they arrived at what looked like a community of cabins which seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. People were hurrying and bustling about, carrying firewood and holding torches. Some were huddling around campfires, whispering in serious voices. And, Emma saw with wide eyes, there were even wolves strutting about, and the people didn't seem to mind them. In fact, some of them playfully patted the wolves every now and then, or even spoke to them conversationally.

"Welcome to Loup's Den," Remus said to them, gesturing the scene before them with a warm smile.

"How come we've never seen this before?" Emma asked, looking around her in awe. She was sure they would've noticed an entire community this big from far away earlier, as they did scour most of the forest.

"Protection spell. Only the trusted are able to see it," Remus explained. Emma glanced at Killian from the corner of her eye, who visibly stiffened at Remus' explanation.

Graham turned to Remus. "Is she here?" he asked with a hopeful look on his face.

"Aye, my sister should be-"

_"Graham?"_

They all turned to see who had interrupted Remus. A beautiful woman who looked to be around Emma's age had appeared behind Graham, holding a pile of firewood in her arms. She widened her blue eyes when Graham turned, her red hood slowly slipping from her raven-black hair, mimicking the gaping mouth she now wore.

"Graham!"

She dropped everything she was holding and ran into Graham's arms, oblivious to everything and everyone else. No, she couldn't believe it, this couldn't be true, it must be a dream. Her huntsman, her Graham, her _love. Oh,_ this must be a dream or a miracle because there was no way he could be standing here in front of her, holding her in his arms._ Oh, don't wake me up,_ she thought as he held her tightly._ This can't be real_, she tells herself, but when he leaned down and pressed his lips on hers - _oh those warm lips, how I've missed them_ - she realized. It was real, he was here, he was alive and well and breathing. She kissed him back just as passionately, not caring about anything else in the world, because her love was _alive. _

The firewood lay on the ground forgotten.

* * *

The others watched the intimate moment in awkward silence, unsure of what to do with themselves. Eric suddenly cleared his throat, breaking the silence.

"So um... Who's that?" he asked Remus.

"That's my sister," Remus replied with a soft smile. "Graham is my brother-in-law," he added at the confused look on Smee's face.

_Brother-in-law? So that's his_ wife? Emma looked at the woman who was now gazing into Graham's face. _Damn, he did pretty well,_ Emma thought with a faint smile on her face. The woman was certainly stunning. She looked at Killian, whose smirk let her know he was probably thinking the same thing.

"Well then I must say, the huntsman sure knows how to pick his game," he commented with a mischievous smile, confirming her thoughts. She gave him an unimpressed look. _Really?_ Does he always have to be so obnoxious?

Killian arched an eyebrow at her glare. "Well if you must burn me with such jealous looks, Princess, we could follow their lead if it would soothe you," he said with a smirk, suggestively glancing towards the huntsman and his wife.

Before Emma could retort at his innuendo, however, Graham spoke up, finally breaking away from his wife's face.

"Everyone," he announced with a proud grin on his face. He held the woman closely to him. "This is my wife."

"Ruby," the woman offered, giving everyone a warm smile. "Or you can call me Red, as Graham here likes to put it." She shoved the huntsman teasingly, who only held her closer.

Everyone nodded in recognition at the woman, who waved them away immediately.

"Please," she remarked, looking at their dirty shoes. "You must be so tired! Come! We'll all feast and rest."

Then she strutted away after that, gesturing for them to follow her without even waiting for their response. She dragged Graham along with her, whose fingers were intertwined with hers, and he simply looked at his companions with an apologetic smile and followed her.

The others glanced at each other - well, if they were crazy enough to listen to Graham's antics earlier, it wouldn't hurt to accept Ruby's warm offer. After all, they've been running around all night endlessly; they really needed the food and rest.

The inside of the cabin was smaller than Emma thought, however it was surprisingly very cozy and very... _Decorated._ Intricately designed tapestries littered the walls and the floors were covered with what looked like sheepskin, and at every corner there were candles and torches lit up, illuminating the entire room. Emma chose to sit on a stool in one of those corners quietly, cleaning her dagger as she watched Graham get re-acquainted with his old friends. Meanwhile, Eric and Smee were being introduced to everyone by Remus, though they looked rather uncomfortable at the sight of the large men who grunted in acknowledgement back to them. Emma smiled; she couldn't really blame them. It seemed like all the men in Loup's Den were large and broad and quite hairy, making Graham look like.. well, a small little teddy bear, if anything.

She scanned the room, her eyebrows furrowing. _But where was...?_

"Looking for me, love?"

Emma rolled her eyes at the sound of his voice - of course he would sneak up to her like that. Embarrassment slowly creeping up on her, she privately hoped that she wasn't that obvious in her searching for him; she wasn't quite sure why she was alarmed when she couldn't find him anyway. However Killian did not make any more comments on the subject, to her relief, and chose to sit down beside her quietly instead.

"It's so weird," Emma said as she watched Graham roar in laughter at something his companions said. "How one minute he was just lying on the floor dying, and then the next he has his memories back, and now we find out he's friends with these..." She trailed off, unsure of what to call them. _Werewolves?_ Was that what they were called? She wasn't sure if she should label them with that word yet, in case it was offending. Killian nodded in silent agreement, eyeing the welcoming crowd before them as he sipped on his cup.

"Emma, right?"

She looked up to the sound of her name and to her surprise, she saw Ruby beaming down at her. Her mouth slightly gaped open as she drunk in the sight of her. Ruby really was quite stunning: raven hair and blood red lips that matched the hooded cape that enveloped her body. She even had on a breathtakingly delicate off-white dress under whose lavish design let Emma know that Ruby held high status in this community, and the sight of it made Emma feel slightly conscious about her own attire. She was only wearing her usual dark brown hooded cape, black pants, and a rather very dirty pair of boots. The annoying pirate captain beside her was right - the huntsman really did know how to pick them.

"Graham told me what happened," Ruby exclaims with a bright smile. "How you touched his cheek and gave him his memories back! Thank you so much!" She bent down and gave Emma a hug, which completely bewildered the latter. However, she reluctantly returned the hug despite herself, causing Killian to arch an eyebrow at her._ I don't know what's going on,_ she mouthed to his amused expression. And it was true - she had no idea what the lady hugging her was talking about.

"...and that is the lovely Princess Emma from the White Kingdom!"

Emma and Killian darted their eyes toward Smee, who was gleefully talking to some of the men who had taken a great interest in his red hat and was now pointing excitedly at where Emma and Killian sat. _What in the bloody hell is that idiot doing?_ Killian thought in alarm, looking at Emma who had the same look of panic on her face._ Why the hell was Smee going around blabbing about their identities?_ She wanted nothing more than to give in to the temptation to smack him over the head - by revealing who they were, he had opened many opportunities for vulnerability to any possible enemies.

Ruby broke away from the hug at the sound of Smee's voice and was now looking down at Emma with a strange expression on her face. "Y-you're Princess Emma?" She asked Emma slowly.

_Great,_ Emma thought grimly. _She's probably one of my dad's friends or worse, his enemies. I'm done for._ Clearly Killian was thinking the same thing, as his hands were now gripped around the sheath of his sword, watching the huntsman's wife with cautious eyes.

However Ruby did something that surprised them both - she gave Emma a huge grin. "Wait here," Ruby instructed before leaving the cabin entirely. Emma and Killian exchanged bemused glances. _Where was she going?_

Ruby came back inside with a hooded figure at her hand, a beaming smile painted on her face._ Oh God_, Emma groaned as she glanced at Ruby's delighted expression and back at the figure who was approaching them. _It's probably a guard, or one of my dad's messengers,_ or-

However, the figure was not a guard, nor were they her dad's messenger, as she had shortly discovered after. She couldn't breathe, couldn't move, could barely even think after she watched the figure slip off their hood to reveal their identity.

Her heart burst at the sight of him.

_"August?"_

* * *

**A/N**: "Loup" means "wolf" in French :) Also I'm a big Harry Potter fan, hence the reason why I chose the name 'Remus' as Ruby's brother haha.

-Someone once wrote a review saying they always thought that the white wolf w/ Graham in the show was an enchanted princess. I always thought that too except that I had some headcanon that it was Ruby back then, although I think her wolf form was brown in the show. REGARDLESS Ruby = the white wolf in this fanfic & she's as awesome as Ruby in the show.

NEXT CHAPTER - One of my favourite chapters to write! By some miracle, Emma sees August for the first time in 10 years - and all this time she thought he was dead. What happened?


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: **If you're iffy about RubyxGraham, don't worry 'cause I don't really focus on their relationship much in this fic. But I do love RubyxEmma brotp so you'll see bits of that :)

-Here we see lots of Pinocchio. His backstory was one of my favourite episodes in the show!

**Disclaimer: **Adam + Eddy = OUAT characters

* * *

There are things a person wishes to say, or things that flash repeatedly in the mind when one is on the verge of death. Sweet memories that they will never get a chance to taste again, and hushed utterances that will never get its chance to be voiced. And in that moment, they close their eyes and smile at the display of life that visits their mind - a first kiss, or the laughter with a close friend, or even a glimpse of childhood.

But inevitably the smiles fade as the memories progress, and perhaps it is due to the sudden realization that revisiting them will no longer be an option. And it isn't fair - it is cruel, just absolutely cruel, because they should not have been robbed of this. They should not be robbed of these memories, of the taste of childhood, of the experience of life.

So instead of reminiscing, Pinocchio does something else - he says the things he wishes to say, and he looks into her eyes when he says it.

"I'll see you again, you know that right?" He tells her, and he briefly wonders if his nose grows with those words, because he knows that deep inside, he is only lying to himself and Emma.

She only holds on to his hand tighter. "But how can I? You're turning into _wood,"_ she sobs back, looking at his legs.

Pinocchio feels a strange sensation in his shoulder, letting him know he doesn't have much time left.

"Then promise me you'll take care of Papa for me. Tell him I love him, Emma."

"Of course I will, idiot," she manages a tiny laugh despite her tears.

His hands slips a bit further, and he knows that his arm is also slowly transforming. "And you'll find Henry, Emma. I know it. And when you do, tell him he's one hell of a brother."

"No, August, _no…"_ she chokes, unable to look at him in the eye.

His hands slip again, and he feels the weight of his wooden limbs dragging him down. Emma stares at him wide-eyed and attempts to reach down further, but he refuses to let her risk her safety, so he speaks, knowing that they may well be his last words.

"Emma, you're the sister I never had. Thank you - for letting a wooden boy be able to experience that."

And so he surrendered to his fate and let go, falling deep into the abyss a wooden boy with a heart that may never beat again.

* * *

He wakes up to the faint sound of music and a throbbing pain to his head. He wasn't sure whether he should feel joyous to the sound of the heavenly, pleasant music, or whether he should be bitter towards the increasing agony in his head. _Man_, _that hurts_ - he decides to settle on the latter. After all, if he was in a "better place", as most people referred to the afterlife as, then he will have time to rejoice later.

He slowly sits himself up, holding a hand to his forehead to alleviate the pain while closing his eyes. Despite the throbbing, he manages to wonder where he is, and where the music was coming from. He stretches his arm out, letting the kinks relax themselves, and then-

_Wait a second._

Something isn't right - _why is he able to move_? Weren't his arms turning into wood when he let go of Emma and fell into that abyss? He forces his eyes to open and focus and he realizes he can see. To his disappointment, his legs were still as they were when he had fallen and were completely wooden, but his arms and hands weren't. Confused, he looks around his surroundings. _Where am I?_ he wonders. Realization dawns on him as he takes in the sight of the forest that engulfed him - he didn't fall into an abyss, he fell in a _portal,_ and the portal took him here in these woods.

In the distance, the music from earlier could still be heard, but he noticed that it seemed to be approaching him. Suddenly afraid, he quickly turns to lie on his stomach, crawling on the floor to the nearest tree he could find.

_"Pinocchio."_

Startled, he stops his movements and looks around for the sound of the voice.

"Who's there?" he asks shakily.

_"Pinocchio."_

This time he sees it - a small ball of light coming from the direction of the music, growing larger and larger as it approached him. As it finally settled slowly in front of Pinocchio, a flash of light suddenly illuminated the entire forest. Shaken, he looks up and sees not the light, but a woman dressed entirely in blue standing in front of him, expanded wings spread behind her back. Although she had a pleasant air about her, Pinocchio couldn't help but stare at her with fearful eyes.

"Do not be so afraid, Pinocchio," the woman says softly. "You are the child of the Light, and there is nothing you should be afraid of."

His expression changes to that of confusion, which seems to amuse the woman as she laughs. "Of course, you do not remember me. I am the Blue Fairy, a servant of the Light, and it was I who brought you to your father, Geppetto."

"Who-who is the Light?" Pinocchio manages to ask.

The Blue Fairy smiles kindly at him. "You did not come into this world by natural birth - your wooden body was enchanted by magic, bringing you to life as a real boy. The Light is the source of all Good Magic, dear Pinocchio, and so when you became a real boy, you were given Life, and since the Light was the one who provided you with it, you also became a child of the Light."

He looked at her disbelievingly. "But… Papa… _He's_ my father. I'm his child."

"Your father was a good and gifted man and deserved all good things. So yes, you may call him a father in heart, but you were not born naturally, Pinocchio. You are an enchanted being, and so you will always be a child of the Light."

He furrows his eyebrows and looks down momentarily, trying to process all this. "So I'm still alive?" he asks.

The Blue Fairy nods, a kind smile still on her face. "Very much so. You were on the verge of leaving your earthly body, thus almost turning completely into a wooden boy again. But you have shown much goodness in your life as a real boy, dear Pinocchio, and so the Light will grant you a gift - a chance at earthly life once again."

"But where am I? How do I get home? Where do I go next?" he asks in a hurry. However the Blue Fairy merely gives him a sad smile.

"All magic, good or Dark, comes with a price, Pinocchio."

Before he could ask further, he feels a strange sensation overcome him, and his head hits the ground once more.

* * *

He wakes up again, and this time, there is no music but he can still feel the throbbing pain in his head. _Maybe it was a dream,_ he thinks to himself. _And maybe I really_ am_ dead this time_. But the sudden sound of footsteps fail to confirm his thoughts, and voices suddenly surround him.

"He's awake!"

He feels a wet cloth touch his head and a pressure on his shoulder. _What is happening?_

"Boy, boy, are you awake? Can you hear me?"

Willing himself to ignore the pain in his head, he opens his eyes and sees an old man looking down at him gravely. Behind them were two other people - another man and an elderly woman, and they too had a grim look on their face.

"Who are you? Where am I?" he asks, slightly panicked at the sight of their faces.

"Please remain still, boy, or your head won't get any better," the old man replies gruffly, holding him down by his leg. Pinocchio looked down at his limb in shock - I can feel my legs, he realizes, and my arms too. However his triumph over getting his normal body back is short-lived, as something else catches his eye. His legs were completely wrapped in bandages and when he moves his shoulder, he realizes that his arms were bandaged too. But it was not the wrappings that caught his attention - no, there seemed to be something red seeping through the cloths. Pinocchio widened his eyes his horror, his mouth gaping open - _no, no_…

The elderly woman who was watching Pinocchio along with the two men suddenly lunged forward after seeing the look on Pinocchio's face. "I am so sorry," she sobbed. "Please, _please_ forgive us, we had only tried to help you - there was no other way. We couldn't stop you from turning into wood and the Blue woman told us -_ oh, I'm_ _so, so sorry_ - she told us you had to become one of us, that the Bite was the only way to save you. Oh, forgive us, boy, please…"

Pinocchio stared at her in bewilderment before looking back at the bloodstained wrappings on his leg, a feeling of horror overtaking him. Panicking and breathing heavily, he started to yell and struggled to get out of the bed, out of this place, and in desperation he tried to move away from the men who were now struggling to keep him still.

But then he felt a sharp pain on his left arm, and he felt a numbing sensation take over his body. He looked at the men with wide eyes, suddenly unable to move, then he felt his body slowly go limp, one part at a time, until his eyes finally closed.

The last thing he saw was the silhouette of a wolf.

* * *

Ten years later, Emma stands in front of Pinocchio, eyes wide and mouth slightly open at the sight of him. She refused to believe that any of this was real because _how is it even possible_? She saw with her own eyes the wooden boy who had fallen into the dark hole that engulfed him, but now he stands right in front of her, wholly real and breathing, but most of all - _alive._

_"Emma,"_ he breathes at last, his face breaking into a wide smile at the sight of her. And at the sound of her name, Emma knew that it really was August, her long-lost brother that she grieved for in the past ten years. _And he was alive._

She could neither speak nor breathe when he pulls her in for an embrace at last, and instead buries her face into his chest, trying to intake his familiar presence. When August gives her a light kiss on top of her head, she realizes that he has grown much taller and broader now than when they were still teenagers, and she wonders what had happened during the time they were separated from each other.

"B-but _how…?"_ is all she manages to splutter out after he finally lets go.

He looks at her face for a while, as if thinking carefully about what to say next. "It was a portal, Emma," he says at last. "It brought me to these woods, and they-" he gestured toward the people who were now watching them. "They saved me."

Emma felt a rush of relief and joy overcome her at the sound of his words. _He never died,_ she thought as she pulled him in for another embrace. He was all right. He _is_ all right.

But then another question came to Emma's mind. "But why didn't you come back home to us? To your father?" she asked August in a confused voice.

Her heart dropped at the grim look he gave her. "I couldn't, Emma. When they saved me, I… I…" he looked away hesitantly before continuing. "I became one of them. And it's too dangerous for me to go back to that kingdom - I wasn't tamed at all whenever I transformed, and I could hurt anybody. Even Papa. And even 'til now I still struggle with control. And it's not only that… Emma, I'm a Guardian now. I'm not a werewolf by birth - they gave me the Bite to save me, and since the Bite is a magic of the forest, I can never leave these woods. _Ever_ - only until I die. It was the price I had to pay for living."

Emma stared at him as he spoke, her insides churning more and more after each word. So that was why he never came back - he couldn't. He had no choice. "I sent you letters almost every day, Emma," he whispers in her hair. "But when you never replied, I thought Regina had gotten to you and Henry. I ached for 10 years, Ems..." And indeed, how could she receive any messages letting her know he was alive? Any strange letter that came from unknown places like these woods were always confiscated by her Kingdom, for fear of Regina or any other dark magic. Emma felt her heart drop - she had only found him now, after ten years, only to find out that he couldn't even go back home with her.

But instead of punching the wall for the injustice of the world, she settled on selflessness, and pulled him in for another embrace instead. _I'll bring Grandpa to you after all this is over,_ she promised as she buried her face in his chest once again. _I'll visit you all the time. I refuse to lose you again._

She doesn't say the words, but she knows he understood by the way he smiled and held her tightly in response. That is the peculiar yet wonderful thing about the bond of siblings: where there are no words, silence is enough.

* * *

**A/N:** I'm really close with my own brother so that's why this chapter is one of my favourites. Sorry for the lack of CS here! I assure you that we'll see more of that in the following chapters ;)

NEXT CHAPTER: August finds out the worst news from Emma & takes some time to cool down. Meanwhile, jealous!Killian takes some observation notes. Finally, the group makes a plan on how to obtain the compass, finding out some very shocking news in the process.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: **Don't worry - I haven't forgotten CS at all. With that said, I posted 2 chapters for you today because tomorrow I have a pleasant surprise for all CS shippers ;)

-PS: Graham totally ships Captain Swan.

**Disclaimer: **Adam + Eddy = OUAT characters

* * *

"Where's Henry?"

Emma pulled away from August, who was now scanning the room with furrowed eyebrows._ Oh God, I should've remembered - he doesn't know_. She feels her heart drop once more before she replies.

"August… He's-he's gone," she said in a quiet voice. "Regina... She... She..."

He looked at her in bewilderment, his eyes widening in realization at her words._ No, no, he couldn't have..._ Then when Emma looked away with a pained face, anger overtook his features, and he could no longer control the growing pain in his chest.

"No!"

* * *

Killian Jones was not the jealous type of man.

Actually, he wouldn't know what "type of man" he was, as there has never been any other women in the past who have pushed his walls back this far. But Killian had decided that he would not be much of a jealous man, if he ever came across such a woman, and he repeated that thought in his mind over and over again as he watched Emma and the mysterious man.

He wasn't quite sure what had happened - all he remembers is standing up protectively when seeing the hooded man, and then Emma gaping at the man as if he was the only person in the bloody cabin. And then the next thing he knew, Emma was embracing the damn man as if it was the last thing she'd do. He found himself clenching his fists and glaring at the damned man, ready to pounce at any given moment. The scene had roused the same feeling he felt when he first saw Emma and Graham speak, and although he knew otherwise, Killian told himself that he was not jealous.

But then the strange man suddenly _kisses_ Emma on the top of her head, and the small creature inside Killian burst. No one touches the Princess except him... right? He shook the ridiculous thought from his head. _Who was this bloody stranger, anyway_? And why was Emma being so... _intimate_ with him? He could feel a churning in his stomach when Emma pulls back and looks at the man - so tenderly - and Killian suddenly cannot look at her any longer.

_This must be the man Emma wants revenge for,_ he thinks bitterly. _Her lover_, no doubt. He sits down and fumbles around his pockets for his old flask - the Princess has no other purpose now that her reason for revenge is here, and he will accept that fact with a good swig of rum.

But then Emma says something that makes Killian stop half-way. "August" he hears her say, and a familiar memory rises in the back of his mind.

"_He reminds me of my brother. August_." He almost laughed out loud - the man that she was embracing was her _brother._

However Killian didn't have enough time to entertain his sudden relief as soon after something else caught his attention. The room had suddenly gotten quiet. August had punched the wall beside him and stormed out of the cabin in fury, Emma hurriedly following him out the door with a pained expression on her face. A yell of frustration was then heard shortly after. Out of instinct, Killian immediately stood up and moved to follow her, but a strong grip pulled him back instead.

"I don't think you have to do that, Captain."

Killian looks at Graham disbelievingly. "Did you see what that man just did? Did you see her?" _What if he hurt her?_

Graham slowly let go of Killian's wrist and took a step closer, speaking in a low voice. "Listen, I know you're worried about her, but as you probably know, August is like a very close brother to Emma. I may not know him that well, despite the fact I've been living at the Den for quite a while, but from what I've heard, he can be trusted." He looked at the cabin door where August had left before continuing. "I don't know who this Henry is, but I'm guessing he was very special to both of them. It would make sense for August to be angry like that."

Following his gaze, Killian also looked at where August had stormed out. _Henry._ He wondered briefly who that may be - the very name seemed to have made Emma go uneasy, and if he remembered correctly, there was a flicker of anguish across her features when August had said it. That very expression alone was unsettling to Killian - it was rare to see Emma show even a hint of emotion, and though he has seen quite a token few, pain was a foreign emotion for Killian to see on Emma. It made him oddly uneasy, so by just _thinking_ about Emma being hurt inside only strengthened Killian's desire to go after her again.

But he doesn't. A week was sufficient for Killian to know well enough that Emma was very capable of handling whatever situation was going on outside the cabin with August - no matter how protective he has become for her. So when Graham offers him a seat, Killian takes it and waits.

They sat like that for a while, drinking in silence as they watched tired and sleepy people slowly leave the cabin one by one. It was strange - it has been almost more than a year since the huntsman had joined Killian and his crew, yet this was the first time Killian had actually sat down alone with Graham.

"Do tell me, where is that red hooded beauty of yours?" Killian asks, breaking the silence. It was only the two of them in the cabin now, save a bored Eric and a rather sleepy Smee.

"She's taking care of some things first, but she'll be back," Graham replied with a faint smile.

"So the lady is your wife?" Killian asks casually as he sips on his flask.

"Aye. She is the love of my life," Graham mused. Then he glanced quickly at Killian. "So you have nothing to worry about, Captain. The Princess is all yours."

All- _what?_ Killian nearly choked on his drink. "You've gone mad, huntsman," he managed to splutter out. "You were a lunatic earlier when you ran towards the wolf and you're a lunatic now."

Graham doesn't reply but merely smiles - rather _too_ knowingly, much to Killian's annoyance. But he was prevented from pondering on the huntsman's words as the sound of the door squeaking open caught their attention.

"So guys, what's the plan?" Emma asks in a breathless voice as she rushed towards them, August close behind. However they don't answer her; the two men just look at her with raised eyebrows. "Oh, right. Guys, this is August. August, this is... Killian and this is Graham, as you probably already know." August nodded in recognition.

"You seem rather rushed, love," Killian observes, watching Emma closely. It seemed that the two have settled down whatever they were experiencing earlier. However... Why would she still want to continue this journey if she found August? _Does she not have no more purpose for revenge anymore? _He glances at August, who was now looking out the window, eyes furrowed in deep thought. _Henry,_ Killian realizes with an afterthought. Whoever that Henry is, by the looks on their faces after August had mentioned his name, "Henry" must be the reason for Emma's determination.

The look in Emma's eyes confirms Killian's suspicions. "I have a mission I'd like to fulfill, remember?" she replies with a stern voice.

"And you will."

They look towards the door where Ruby had appeared. She gave them all a bright smile. "Graham told me about the compass," she continued. "You're looking for answers from someone in the Lion Heart Pub, right?" They all nod, including Eric and a now fully awake Smee.

"The thing is, that's going to be harder than you think. Things have changed a lot over the past few years." She looks over at Graham. "Black guards are all over the place, and foreigners aren't usually welcome nowadays than before." She looks back at Emma, Eric, and Smee, and gestures towards their clothing. "Your attire is much too obvious, except for maybe the Captain's - he looks like he wouldn't catch much attention there as he blends in with the crowd there."

Emma couldn't help but notice how Ruby and Graham had exchanged worried glances when she mentioned the guards.

"Who are the Black guards?" she asked.

Graham looked at her hesitantly. "They're the Evil Queen's guards," he replied in a grim voice. No... Emma felt her insides churn as he continued to speak. "And I think I know why they're here now. I'm afraid I haven't been completely honest with you, Emma - with all of you." He took a deep breath and looked straight at Emma. "But first, you must know that the reason I knew Regina is because she wanted me to kill you and your family-"

_"What?!"_ Killian and August yelled in unison.

Killian glared at Graham. "And why haven't you told us this before?"

Graham held out his hands desperately. "I lost my memories! How could I?! But forget it - that's not what I've been hiding. As you can see, I didn't follow through Regina's plan, and she certainly wasn't very happy about it. So as my punishment... She took my heart."

Ruby let out an audible gasp and covered her mouth - clearly this was also the first time she has heard of this. However Graham continued. "That's why I joined Killian's crew - to get my heart back. But the point is, Regina seemed adamant in having her way with you and your family, Emma, and by the news of these guards, I don't think she's finished." He looked at the people in front of him apologetically. "I'm sorry that I failed to tell you about my heart, but I didn't want any of you to think of me any differently. Forgive me."

August looked at Ruby. "Why didn't you tell me that the Black Guards may be going after Emma?!" he demanded angrily.

Ruby gave him an indignant look. "This is the first time I've heard of this! I never knew that the Evil Queen wanted to kill Emma and her family in the first place or that she was still trying to do so!" She shot back. "All I knew was that for the past year she was looking for some magical object and that she had her guards searching every visible foreigner in this forest! They've been wreaking havoc ever since!"

Killian swore under his breath and looked at Emma, who was staring at Graham with a look of disbelief on her face. _Why?_ She thought, horror filling her insides. _Why is she still doing this?_ Hasn't Regina been satisfied with ruining her mother's life by killing her father? Wasn't it enough when she crushed Henry's heart right in front of Emma's eyes? _Why is she never satisfied with ruining our lives? _

But Emma was not the type of person to weep for her sorrows. No, Emma was stronger than that, and had a heart full of willpower. She had a purpose when she stowed away on Jones' ship, and she won't let these Black Guards lower her morale towards that. In fact, she felt her hatred and thirst for vengeance grow even more. Emma was more determined than ever to give Regina what she deserved, and most of all, Emma was _pissed._

"So what do we have to do?" She looked between Ruby and Graham, ignoring the incredulous looks on Killian and August's faces.

Graham looked at her thoughtfully for a moment. "I can't come with you, that is for certain. My face is too well-known around these parts. Plus I am supposed to be dead or roaming around somewhere else, after all. And you can't go too, August - that place is beyond your boundaries," he added when August opened his mouth to speak. August shut his mouth and looked away grumbling.

"Also it's too suspicious if all four of you come storming into the pub. You'll attract too much attention," Ruby said as she looked at Killian, Emma, Eric, and Smee. "It's best if only two of you meet with this man you're looking for."

"Then I will be going," Killian offered. "I happen to have met the bloke before, after all."

Emma stepped forward. "And I'm going too," she declared.

_"No!"_ Killian and August exclaimed in unison. Emma raised her eyebrow - the protectiveness of these two men were getting to her nerves.

"Your Majesty, princess, Highness," Smee suddenly spoke up. Emma looked at him in surprise. "The Lady and Huntsman just said that there are Black Guards and if they recognized you, they may go after you-"

"No Smee," she interrupted him with a hand up. "I don't care how dangerous it is - I have a mission, okay? I need to do this."

"Princess, it's okay, I can always go-"

_"No,_ Eric!" She looked at everyone in exasperation. Why were they treating her like she's incapable of taking care of herself? Then she looked at Killian, who was staring at her with an expression she couldn't quite pinpoint.

"Jones," she addressed him. "You can read me, right? Well read this: _I'm going with you and that's final_."

Killian didn't call after her when she turned on her heel and left the cabin, nor did he demand Eric to take Emma's place. He simply stood there and watched her walk away, his expression well-guarded as he processes the determined look on her face after she said those words. The only time he moves is when August shifts to walk towards where Emma left.

He grabbed August's wrist. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, mate," he warned.

"And why not? You don't care if she just volunteered to walk to her _death?"_ August asked incredulously.

Killian scoffed. "Of course I _care,"_ he replied. "But the bloody woman has been volunteering for her death since the day she snuck on my ship. And," he added, looking straight at August. "If you know her as well as I think you do, you should know that Emma never takes no for answer. She's as stubborn as the next bull."

August reluctantly stepped back and then looked at Killian seriously. "You'll take care of her, you hear me?" August growled. "I'm gonna take a leap of faith here and trust you with my sister's life."

Killian smirked and nodded. "That has been the plan since I met her, mate."

* * *

**A/N: **Next chapter we see Emma wearing something... Well, let's say it was something that turned on flirty!Killian.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: **Here's the second chapter for today that I promised. I give you flirty!Killian...

* * *

"Tell me again what in the fucking hell I'm wearing?"

Emma glared at her reflection in the mirror. After everyone accepted her declaration last night, Emma had agreed to Ruby's precautions: Emma had to change out of her hunting gear and into something more believable.

"God, I love your spirit, Emma," Ruby laughed when Emma continued to curse under her breath. "It's a corset. Basically every woman that goes to the pub around these parts dress like this, so you'll blend right in."

"Why does the fashion trend have to be a _corset…"_ Emma muttered. "Ow! Ruby._ I. Can't. Breathe_."

"Sorry, sorry!" Ruby apologized when she pulled the strings of the corset too tightly. "Don't complain - you're the one who insisted to go, remember?"

"I know, I know!" Emma huffed out a breath of exasperation. "I just wish I could wear my hunting clothes…"

Ruby scoffed. "And get shot by an arrow instantly? While you look great either way, your hunting gear makes you look like you're ready for a war. And it's way too obscure for a woman around here."

Emma didn't reply and grumbled instead. The woman had a point - her hunting gear didn't exactly scream out 'safe little lady'. Hesitantly, she looked at herself again in the mirror._ I guess I look… all right_, she thought as she looked over the black and red outfit Ruby had provided her with. Emma supposed that she had to give Ruby some credit - after all, the huntsman's wife was doing her best to help them. Plus, she was technically the one who reunited her and August. That's something that shouldn't be forgotten.

_August._ After he had let out his anger outside when he found out about Henry's death, Emma had embraced him for the longest time in silence. Ten years had given her enough time to be all cried out, so she allowed August time to mourn. "_So that's why you're here_," August had said. "_For Henry_." He had calmed down after she nodded, and a silent agreement between them was exchanged - revenge for Henry's death will be served. The moment had fueled the fire in Emma's chest, which was why she stormed into the cabin, determined to get plans straight and going.

She wondered briefly how he was taking all of this. After all, there was no way he could leave the "boundaries of the wolf bite" or whatever the hell they called it. _I'll find a way to get you out of this mess,_ Emma thought. And she will, after Henry's justice was served.

"All done!" Ruby jumped up with a smile and clasped her hands. Emma examined herself in the mirror. She was wearing a black long-sleeved shirt with an elaborate crimson red collar that led to a plunging v-neck line. _Too deep, _she noted as she looked disapprovingly at the curves of skin peeking out from the neck line. As well, a large brown leather belt with a gold centre was cinched around her waist. She had managed to fight to the death with Ruby in regards to her pants, since the latter wanted Emma to wear a dress, so Emma was now wearing black leather pants that were much too tight for her liking. _I look like the fucking pirate_, Emma thought as she stared at her pants.

At least she got to wear her own boots.

* * *

Does Captain Killian Jones gape? Sure, he has gaped many times in his life, especially when it came to the sight of beautiful ladies. But today, Killian Jones did not only gape - he literally froze, stopped, and stared, and his mouth dropped to the ground. He wouldn't be surprised if he was even _drooling_ at this point.

"Geez, will you stop staring?!"

He was momentarily distracted when Emma let out a breath of exasperation. But how could he stop staring? The Princess, who was always dressed ruggedly and obscurely, was all dressed up. He couldn't stop roaming his eyes over the way the tight belt had shown off the curves of her waist, and how Emma's now-crossed arms definitely did not help to hide the mounds that is her chest that was practically bursting out towards Killian. She was even wearing leather pants, dammit, and _gods above_, was the Princess wearing her hair _down?_ He was so used to her unruly single braid - the sight of her long, wavy blonde locks around her face was much more appealing, he decided.

"Wonderful job, Ruby," he said with a boyish grin, not taking his eyes off Emma. He failed to acknowledge anyone else around them at the sight of her. "I must say, Princess, if you're going to look like this every time we go to a bar, then I'm taking you to one every day."

"She can keep the outfit," Ruby said with a shrug. "I have too much clothing for my own good anyway."

Emma groaned and let out an exasperated sigh. However Ruby's words seemed to have motivated the Captain. _"Excellent_ idea. Please do burn that brown sack she usually wears for me then, will you?" he said to Ruby. Emma shot him a glare. "What?" Killian shrugged with a smirk. "It gives me bad memories, love."

_"Anyways,"_ Emma said, wishing to prevent Killian from commenting on her attire any further. "I'm all ready to go if you are."

"Aye, I'm good." Killian gestured towards his sword that hung on his own leather pants.

"We'll meet you back here at Loup's Den as planned. Take care," Graham said with a wave. Killian and Emma waved back and began to walk away from the community of cabins, until they heard August's voice.

"Remember what I said, Jones!" he yelled. Killian lifted a hand up as if to agree, back still turned.

Emma raised an eyebrow questioningly. "What was that about?"

"Nothing," Killian said quickly. The Captain must have forgotten about Emma's abilities, however, because she definitely caught his lie.

* * *

The LionHeart pub was much more pleasant than Emma had imagined it to be - she thought there would be Black guards swarming the place. But they arrived to find that there was actually no Black guards in sight, much to their great relief.

"So where do you think your friend is?" Emma whispered to Killian as they walked in.

Killian scanned the room and began to walk around slowly. "He should be in one of those tables." He nodded towards the corner of the room, which seemed to be the only place in the pub with no light. "He prefers dark places." He grinned lecherously at her and gave her an exaggerated once-over, then shot her a wink. "Aye, you'll fit in quite well, love. You sure you don't want a dance before we meet the bloke?"

Emma resisted the urge to kick him to oblivion.

They walked towards the corner tables cautiously, and as they squinted their eyes they could make out the silhouette of a man sitting alone. "I think that's him," Killian whispered. "Let me handle this."

Emma nodded and followed slowly behind Killian, watching the dark figure. As she approached she could make out the image of a middle-aged man with dark brown clothing, and on his back it seemed that he was carrying a bow and some arrows. It appeared that Killian was right, as the man had now noticed them and was standing up, grinning at Killian.

"Why isn't it the Devil himself!" the man laughed, patting Killian on the back.

"Robin, always good to see you, mate," Killian greeted back. He turned towards Emma and gestured towards the man. "Emma, I'd like you to meet Robin Hood."

* * *

It seemed that Robin Hood and the Captain were pretty good "mates", as Emma had to watch them reminisce for a while.

"...Gods and that time we stole that rich bloke's food? He went off! You'd think that fat piece of blubber had never experienced hunger before!" Killian exclaimed, making Robin roar in laughter. "I have to admit, you taught me well. You are quite the skilled thief, mate."

_"Honorable_ thief, " Robin corrected. He looked at Emma and gestured towards Killian. "I've only met this man probably once in my life, but you'd think we knew each other forever. He's a tough lad, that."

_Ugh, this conversation feels like forever,_ Emma thought in annoyance, giving Robin a rather pained smile.

"Indeed, I met Robin the first time I was here a year ago, looking for a way to break into my old kingdom. He and his men actually helped me get out of the woods safely before the werewolves came," Killian explained. Then he turned to Robin. "Speaking of which, how are your-"

_"Look,_ this is lovely and all," Emma interrupted, resisting the urge to yell at them. Lord, give me patience. "But please, we have something to take care of."

Robin looked at Killian with a raised eyebrow. "Oh? What business do you have around these parts now, Captain?"

Killian leaned in closed and spoke in a hushed voice. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you for another favour, Robin, if you don't mind." He looked around cautiously before continuing. "I'm looking for a certain compass, one that is told to be able to lead you to your heart's greatest desire."

Robin's face faltered for a moment before he replied. "The _Desiderium?"_ He looked at Killian and raised an eyebrow questioningly. "That is quite the magical object you're sought after, Jones, but I don't think that would help you break into your kingdom's protection spell."

Killian waved his hand as if to dismiss the mention of the kingdom. "No, no, it's not for that, although the ultimate goal is indeed to do just that," he said gravely. Then he spoke in a hushed voice once again. "I'm actually here for an important quest, Robin, one assigned to me by another Kingdom. I need to find the hidden entrance to-" he looked around cautiously. _"-Wonderland."_ Robin didn't look too happy at all at what Killian said, causing the latter to continue. "Robin, I know it seems like a deathly task but it is one I'm willing to risk anything to take. You know how long I've been searching for a way to fulfill my goal. I've finally found a way. So please, I need your help."

Robin looked at Killian thoughtfully for a moment before moving his eyes towards Emma. "All right, I'll help you," he finally said, and Emma and Killian smiled in relief. "But before I lead you to its owner safely, you must tell me exactly what business you have in Wonderland, Killian. This is a dangerous task; the owner is not very welcoming to thieves if caught, and my history with him is not exactly… _pleasant."_

Killian nodded. "Aye, but not here," he agreed, gesturing towards the pub surrounding him. "We can go back to Loup's Den. Don't worry," Killian added at the sudden incredulous look on Robin's face. "We know the inhabitants. Actually, we're quite good friends with them now."

"Who's the owner?" Emma asked curiously as they began to stand up.

Robin looked at her darkly and spoke in a low voice. "I will not utter that creature's name here! We'll continue this conversation when we reach that-" he wrinkled his nose in discomfort. "-den of yours."

They stood up and began to walk from the table, careful to place a few coins for the server. They were about to reach the door when Emma turned around to speak to Killian, remembering something. "Jones, do you know-"

She froze as she felt the cold metal against her neck. "You're not from around these parts are you, pretty lady?" a dangerous voice whispered in her ear, pushing the dagger close to her throat. "On a little mission to Wonderland, I hear? Now if you don't move, I'll spare your throat."

"If you don't let her go, I'll spare you your life," Killian suddenly said warningly, not taking his eyes off of the man's dagger.

She darted her eyes around her body, trying to calculate a safe way to escape. Who is this guy? Emma thought in panic. Oh God oh God, please don't let it be a Black Guard.

"You're not a Black Guard," Robin observed, confirming Emma's thoughts. "Who are you?" He narrowed his eyes at the man, who had chuckled.

"Oh most definitely not," the man leered back. Emma looked up at the man from the corner of her eyes - he had a sly smile on his face that brought a shiver through Emma's voice. The smile almost look… insane.

"Let her go, mate," Killian warned. He started to walk slowly towards Emma, which only made the man put more pressure on Emma's throat.

"Oh I won't do that if I were you!" the man sang. But Killian refused to listen - he lunged towards Emma, yelling at her to escape. Emma used the temporary distraction to expertly weaved her way out of the man's grip, then Robin grabbed Emma by the wrist to prevent her from falling while the man fell back at Killian's sudden shove. However, before the man fell, he had grabbed onto Killian's shirt, bringing Killian down with him.

"Ohoho, I got you!" the man laughed hysterically.

"You're mad," Killian growled as he struggled out of the man's grip.

"That's what they called me!" the man sang again, looking up pointedly at the crumpled hat on his head with his free hand. Then he gave Killian a hard, serious look. "But I assure you - I'm not entirely crazy." Then he did something that made Emma choke - he moved his arm towards Killian's side and plunged the dagger through Killian's body.

"Killian!" she screamed, widening her eyes in horror as Killian touched his side, a smear of blood staining his fingertips. She rushed towards him by instinct, however Robin thwarted her movements. "Stay back," he instructed as he moved towards Killian and the madman.

The next few moments was a blur. As soon as Robin knocked the man away from Killian, the pub suddenly erupted. Everyone was now yelling and fighting amongst each other, as if Robin's act gave them the signal to. Emma took this as a chance to quickly grab Killian, who was now crumbled on the floor, while everyone else was distracted. She dragged him towards the door and bent down to pull the dagger out of his side.

"I'm sorry," she whispered as she pulled it out as quickly and safely as she could, though he let out a loud groan that made her wince. She continued to pull him up and lifted his arm around her shoulder to support him as they limped towards the door. She looked behind her, where Robin was still wrestling the man that had stabbed Killian.

"Watch out!" Emma called out as the man almost hit Robin with a glass bottle.

"Go! I'll be there in a second!" Robin ordered. Emma nodded and pushed the door open before looking back at Robin reluctantly, not wanting to leave Killian's friend behind. Robin managed to punch the man's face, causing the man to stumble back and fall backwards into a table, his head hitting the glasses that were scattered around.

"Go, go, go!" Robin yelled as he ran towards Emma. They quickly made their way out of the pub and managed to avoid being noticed, thanks to the multiple fights that had broken out in the pub.

Robin helped Emma pull Killian towards a horse that was waiting for them at a nearby tree. "I can't fit both of you on my horse with me," Robin said grimly as he looked around the clearing.

"Wait. Take that one," he said, pointing at another horse nearby. Emma looked at it hesitantly. "We have no choice but to steal that horse so go!"

"No," she said shaking her head. "I'm going to take Jones with me. I am not leaving his side. You follow us," she ordered.

Although Robin looked exasperated, he reluctantly agreed. They dragged Killian towards the horse, grunting as Emma pulled Killian up the horse with her, Robin lifting him up carefully. When they finally got Killian settled, Robin got on his own horse.

"Hold on, Jones," she whispered to Killian as she gently smoothed his hair back from his now sweaty head. She nudged the horse forward.

"It's going to be a bumpy ride."

* * *

**A/N: **...and _pain!_ Mwhahah.

NEXT CHAPTER: The reason why this is a CS fic - Emma refuses to leave Killian's side, causing her & Ruby have some girl-to-girl talks. Then Emma does something that shocks both her and Killian. Then the group finally leaves with Robin to find the owner of the Desiderium compass.

More adventures & lots of CS moments coming your way!


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N:** Lots of CS feels & development. One of my favourite Captain Swan moments that I've written so far.

**Disclaimer: **Adam + Eddy = OUAT

* * *

She wasn't sure how long she had been sitting alone there for, but she didn't care. Emma was insistent - she was staying by Killian's side no matter what, and she refused to fall asleep in case something happened. When the stupid pervert wakes up, she decided, she'll be the first one to smack his head for being an idiot.

_Why did you have to do that?_ She wondered as she looked sadly at the sleeping Captain's face. _I could've handled him myself, you idiot._

She traces the cloth that was wrapped expertly around Killian's side where his wound lay, briefly admiring the work that Ruby's grandmother had done. The old woman was tough and clever, and had managed to stop the bleeding entirely. Emma had felt a huge wave of relief wash over her when Granny had told them that Killian will be fine, and she had a sudden urge to control her tears at the good news. Strange, Emma doesn't cry. Sure, she had felt extremely relieved when Graham was okay, and even so when they pulled Eric up from the sea. She had been extremely horrified in both scenarios, but with the Captain, it was different. Losing him was an entirely different kind of fear on its own, and it made Emma all the more confused.

When the madman had stabbed Killian, something in her broke immediately, and the realization that he may die right then and there elicited a scream from her that she hadn't heard from herself for ten years. In fact, she was so shaken, so afraid, that she could not think straight. In that moment, nothing else mattered in the pub except for him, and before she knew it, she found herself running towards him impulsively despite herself.

She tries to convince herself it was because he had helped her so many times in the past and she was simply repaying the favour, but deep inside, Emma knew better than that. She and the damn pirate captain had a connection and she knew it. No matter how much she tried to deny it, she and Killian had a bond - they understood each other. They were even a team now: two partners with a similar motivation for revenge. And no matter how much Emma didn't want it to happen, she had grown oddly attached to the Captain, and if anything were to happen to him… _No,_ she couldn't even think about what would happened.

"Emma?"

Emma snapped out of her thoughts and looked behind her, where Ruby was standing. Ruby gave her a worried look. "Seriously Emma, you really need to get some rest. You're leaving tomorrow," she said, walking towards her.

Emma shook her head. "I can't. Plus what if he…?" she bit her lip, unable to finish her sentence. She knew she was being silly but... _What if he didn't wake up?_

"Oh come on, Emma. Give Granny some credit," Ruby nudged her playfully, making Emma smile for the first time that night. She looked at Emma thoughtfully, then smiled. "Here, why don't I give you a break and keep you company for a while? At least keep your mind off your worries," Ruby added when Emma gave her a weary look.

Emma nodded. "All right. I'm sorry, Ruby, it's just.." she glanced at Killian, who was still sleeping soundly, and clenched her fists. "Why did he have to do that? The stupid idiot almost got himself killed."

"He cares for you," Ruby said softly.

Emma just looked at her in disbelief then scoffed. "He shouldn't. I'm not worth it. He'll just get himself killed and he won't get his revenge," she said.

"You care for him too."

Emma stared at her for a moment, unable to reply due to the bluntness of the statement. _Oh God,_ Emma thought when the realization hit her. But she was still the same Princess Emma, a master of indifference; a woman afraid to show any hint of vulnerability. So she lets the walls build when she replies.

"All I care about is getting us there and back alive," she said firmly. Clearly Ruby wasn't buying it as she rolled her eyes.

_"Please_ Emma, it's so obvious that you guys have something. The entire den can feel it," she scoffed. Emma shot her an unimpressed glare. "What?" She sighed and gave a pitiful smile. "You really have to stop putting up those walls, Emma, or you're going to shut out much more than just potential enemies." She placed a gentle hand over Emma's, making Emma slightly cringe at the action.

Emma looked at Ruby's hand warily, unsure of what to say or do. She hadn't had many female friends in her life - actually, _none_ now that she thinks of it - so the kind gesture had thrown her off. She looked at Ruby's sincere expression and then smiled back, deciding that perhaps the huntsman's wife was right. She'll let her guard down for Ruby for a bit, because Emma deserved friendship, didn't she?

"You know, me and Graham never liked each other from the start too," Ruby continued when Emma didn't respond. Emma raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Yeah," Ruby laughed. "I'm guessing Graham didn't tell you why he's a huntsman or why the Evil Queen went after him the first place. You see, when I first met Graham, he was actually trying to kill me."

"No way," Emma said, clearly surprised.

"It's true. He was a huntsman - the best of his kind - and the Evil Queen had heard about him. So she hired him to kill me and bring my dead body to her. And why is that?" She paused and looked at Emma sadly before continuing. "Well, there's something you should know about the werewolves here at Loup's Den. Not all of us are wolves - only those who descended from the Royal Lineage. The history behind the appearance of the wolves is an entirely different story for another time. But basically… I don't know if you've heard of this legend, but there's a story about the female descendants of that lineage. Each female descendant carries with them a Dark curse, and the legend says that if one of these women are killed in a specific way while in wolf form, the curse will be unleashed."

"And I'm guessing the legend is true," Emma said quietly. "And that you're one of these women."

Ruby nodded. "My mother passed it on to me when she gave birth to me. It's called the Pandora's Curse - once unleashed, pure Darkness and evil is released as well. I suppose Regina wanted to gain control over this curse and use it as her own. Anyway, so Graham was able to find Loup's Den, as there was no protection spell at that time, and he came to kill me only to find that I put on a really good fight." She laughed at the memory then shook her head. "Anyways, before I get more off topic, the main point is that Graham and I fell in love somehow despite of the terrible circumstances of our encounter. It took me a loooong time to trust him and eventually see the goodness in his heart, but in the end, well… We got married, didn't we?"

She squeezed Emma's hand and gave her a kind smile. "We don't choose our destiny - it finds us. All we can do is hold on to it and make the best of it, no matter how afraid it makes us. We have no control over anything that happens in lives. So if love is a part of our destiny, then there's nothing we can do about it. Let it be, let yourself go, and goodness will follow." She glanced at Killian then nodded at him. "Speaking of which, I should get to _my_ destiny," she winked at Emma. "Go tend to your pirate."

Emma rolled her eyes but couldn't resist letting out a laugh. When Ruby left the room, Emma turned towards Killian and regarded him for a while. Her pirate... _So Red hood here thinks we're destiny, eh?_ She thought in amusement as she looked at him. The quiet, hopeful part of her wanted to believe it, but the broken part of her spoke volumes too loud for her liking. She was afraid of any type of emotional investment; she was too wary of the vulnerability it possessed. She was scared of loss, of the pain of a broken heart. That's what happens when ten years of grieving hardens your heart: you build up walls against both foes and friends.

However Emma touches Killian's side wound gently anyway, because although her heart is guarded, she is still not heartless. She cares for the wounded man lying in front of her, even though she'd rather she doesn't - must be Snow and Charming's blood flowing through her veins. She closes her eyes and strokes the wound gently, willing for his pain to go away. In response the Captain stirred at her touch and moved his head towards her, startling her momentarily.

"Don't…" Killian suddenly murmured, his eyes still closed.

"What was that?" she whispered, leaning in close.

"If you're going to stare, don't stand on ceremony and just kiss me already," Killian whispered back with a lecherous smirk on his face.

_And so the perverted Captain is back_. Although she rolled her eyes, she was mostly happy that he was now awake and well enough to attempt flirtation. "Dream on, Captain," she said with a smile.

Killian finally opened one eye and gave her a mischievous grin. "Oh but believe me, I already have, love."

Emma punched his arm playfully. "While I do long for your touch, Princess, do remember that I'm crippled," he groaned.

"Sorry," Emma apologized. "Speaking of which, how are you feeling?"

"Splendid now that you're here," he chirped. "Though I do have a little cut bothering me and _could_ use a peck…" He lifted his cheek towards her as Emma looked on, unimpressed. _He must be feeling_ really_ well if he's going on like this,_ she thought as she looked at him.

Killian raised his eyebrow at the sudden change of expression in Emma's face. "Why so glum, chum?" he asked.

However Emma didn't smile this time. Instead, she spoke in a quiet voice. "Why'd you do it?" she asked quietly. "Why'd you risk your life like that for me?"

Killian shifted uncomfortably for a moment then gave a little shrug. "Well firstly your brother August there threatened to kill me if I didn't bring you back alive," he said in an amused tone. Then he gave her a long, thoughtful, serious look before continuing. "You're a smart one, lass. Read me. You know why," he said quietly.

Silence fell between them and Emma looked at Killian thoughtfully, scanning his eyes with her own. Then she does something that surprises them both.

She doesn't know what makes her do it; perhaps it's the gratitude taking control over her body, or the soft look forming in his blue eyes, or the sleeplessness finally affecting her mind, but suddenly she finds herself leaning towards him, and she gently presses her lips on the corner of his own. I_t's so warm,_ she thinks with a faint smile, breathing in his scent as her heart begins to beat wildly in her chest. _He's so warm._

"Thank you," she whispered against his skin.

When she pulls back, Killian looks at her in silent surprise, but she says nothing and simply gets up and walks away without a word. She doesn't even glance back at him, afraid of what may happen if she does.

But if she did, she might, just might, see Killian slowly raise his fingers to where she kissed him with a look of awe on his face.

* * *

The following morning, they all packed their things and were saying their last thank-you's and goodbye's to the people of Loup's Den. Emma made sure to give a special hug to Ruby and Granny, who had been so welcoming and helpful during their brief stay there. Finally, Emma reached the person she was dreading to say goodbye to the most.

"Promise you'll send word once you've gotten that compass?"

Emma nodded at August. "If I can, of course. And after I'm done with the bitch, I'll be back before you know it."

August gave her a tearful chuckle before embracing her, then kissed Emma's forehead. "I know you will," he whispered.

"God, don't cry, Long Nose, or I'll start bawling my eyes out," Emma said with a laugh. August shoved her playfully at the sound of his old nickname and then looked at her seriously.

"I'll see you soon, Ems. Until next time."

Emma bit her lip. "Until next time."

* * *

After they all said their goodbye's, Emma, Killian, Robin, Graham, Eric, and Smee left the den on their horses and rode quickly onwards, with Robin leading them in the front. It didn't take them long until Robin halted them to an abrupt stop in front of clearing in the forest.

He looked out towards the trees as if searching for someone before finally speaking. "It's me," he called out. Emma and Eric exchanged confused glances, but their thoughts were immediately answered as three hooded men stepped out from behind the trees, all armed with bows and arrows.

"Everyone, meet the Merry Men: John, Midge, and Will." Robin introduced them with a gesture. The men pulled down their hoods according to their respective names and bowed.

The man named Will walked up towards Robin, who had jumped off his horse. "Where have you been? It's been a week already; we'd thought you've been done in for," he hissed in a low voice.

"Business, mate, but we'll leave as soon as I'm finished helping these people. These folks here are trustworthy friends - they're looking for the _Desiderium._ Any news that we need to know before we pass?" Robin asked.

Will glanced at the five who were watching them closely. He gave Robin a grave look. "Still can't get the horses to pass that bloody barrier. You'll have to leave those animals here, I'm afraid. Also," he looked around carefully before leaning in to whisper. "That bloody payment still remains. You can't pass alive if you don't comply, so if you want to avoid casualties, make sure they _all_ do it."

Robin nodded in understanding then gestured towards his company of five. "We'll have to leave those horses here with my men. Can't bring any of them beyond this clearing, I'm afraid," he called out to them. They all nodded and got off their horses and followed him, carrying their things with them. "Thanks, mate. I'll see you men soon," Robin whispered to Will with a pat on his back.

They soon stopped in front of a oddly shaped rock, on which Robin placed his gloves on.

"What are you doing?" Eric asked nervously when Robin took his knife out.

"We are entering a different forest now - the Dark Forest. There has been an enchantment placed around this area," he explained, gesturing at the land beyond the rock. He sliced the knife across his palms, drawing out blood. "A barrier. The inscription on this rock reads: Strong, and you shall perish. Weak, and you shall pass." He placed the cut hand on the rock, staining it with his blood. "We'll have to make ourselves 'weak' if we want to pass the barrier."

The other five nodded in understanding and followed suit, each drawing out their own blood and staining the rock. When it was Emma's turn, she noticed something about the strange shape of the rock. _It's a giant skull,_ she realized in horror.

"What kind of guy does this kind of shady shit?" Emma wondered out loud.

"Only one man, who happens to be the very man who owns the _Desiderium_ you all seek," Robin replied gravely.

"And who's that?" Smee asked curiously.

The look that Robin gave them when he suddenly stopped walking made Emma's blood run cold.

_"Rumpelstiltskin."_

* * *

**A/N: **I won't be posting tomorrow (Dec 31st) since it's New Year's Eve, but I will be posting another chapter Jan 1st :)

Hope you all liked that CS moment ;)

NEXT CHAPTER: A little Killian/Emma post-kiss scene followed by Robin leading them into Rumple's lair. As well, we see _another_ ship being introduced as well (but only in this chapter - I won't be focusing much on it).


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N:** The beginning is a little post-kiss Killian/Emma drama (as it is a CS fic) but the rest…. Well, you'll just have to read ;)

-Also happy new year everyone :) I wish you all the best this upcoming year.

**Disclaimer: **Adam + Eddy = OUAT characters

* * *

The air in the Dark Forest seemed to become progressively colder as they ventured through the trees, despite how warmly they were all dressed. Emma shivered; while her thick hunting gear had never failed her before when it came to cold weather, it had now. Though she couldn't help but notice how unnatural the coldness in the air seemed: it was eerie almost, as if someone had intended it to be this way. She couldn't shake the feeling off, and the fact that a certain handsome pirate Captain was watching her with an unreadable expression didn't help her uncomfortable feeling either.

She could feel his eyes on her as she strode in front of him. Ever since last night, she had tried her best to avoid any interaction with him - especially ones that involved them being alone. Her actions were bound to have repercussions, but she wasn't ready to face them yet. She wasn't even sure what had really happened between them last night in the first place. Or perhaps she just didn't want to admit that the kiss did strengthen something between them. After all, when her lips touched his skin, it was strange yet familiar - as if she was meant to do this all along. She shivered at the thought of it -_ stop thinking about kissing pirates,_ she scolded herself. _Focus._

But she couldn't. Emma has never kissed anyone like that before in her life (truth be told, she just hasn't found anyone interesting enough, and plus every guy in the damn Kingdom was afraid of her father), so last night was quite the revelation for her. The feeling that overtook her senses as she leaned in, breathing in his familiar, faint scent of spice and leather; seeing the tender gaze in his electric blue eyes when she slowly pulled away - it half-thrilled her; half-scared her. It was a paradox that she wasn't willing to solve at the moment, and she hoped the Captain nearing her would read that on her face.

However Killian didn't seem to get the point as he had been eyeing her closely their entire trip that day, virtually never leaving his eyes off of her.

Without a word, Killian quickened his pace and walked closer to Emma. She stiffened as she felt something heavy and warm wrap around her body. A strong scent of spice and rum suddenly overcame her senses, and she realized - he had given her his coat.

"Thanks," she muttered, careful not to look at him. She hastened her own pace, wanting nothing more than to avoid the pirate who was now giving her a hard look. However she was prevented from rushing any further as a hand touched her shoulder and gently pulled her back.

"_What do you want_?" Emma snapped, shrugging Killian's hand off of her.

Killian glanced at the rest of the men, who were now a little far ahead of them, before looking back at Emma. "What I want to know is why you've been avoiding me like the plague," he hissed back.

Emma looked away from him and continue to walk away. "Because we have a mission to complete, remember?"

He reached forward and grabbed her hand, pulling her back towards him. But he had pulled back a little harder than he intended to, as she spun towards him and stopped against his chest, his leather coat slipping from her back to the ground. They were now against each other, him looking down at her and her at him, both breathing heavily from the sudden contact. When Emma didn't move away, Killian decided it was okay to speak.

"We both know that's not the real reason, love," he whispered breathily. Still, she did not move away, and had her eyes locked on his blue ones. He searched her green eyes, trying to read her expression. "Why deny something so real? Last night-" Emma's heart skipped a beat at the sudden intense, heated gaze he gave her; a smile unlike any she has seen him give before spreading across his lips. She was still frozen against his chest, so Killian took this as a positive sign. He gently pushed a strand of hair away from her eyes and let his fingers linger there, and still, she did not budge. So he began to slowly lean down towards her. "Last night was..."

Unfortunately Emma didn't find out how 'last night' was, as a yell from in front of them interrupted Killian. Emma's eyes flew open and she whipped her head towards the voice and began to run. _What the hell was I doing?_ She cursed herself inwardly as she remembered how she too had begun to close her eyes as Killian leaned forward. _Shit, Emma, concentrate._

They finally reached a large mound of land where the rest of the men stood. Smee rushed to them and pointed at the small hill. "Captain, Princess, sir, your highness, we're here," he announced.

Killian looked around him cautiously. "We heard someone yell - what happened?" he asked, looking back at Smee.

"We were calling you because we found the entrance," Eric explained. He gestured towards the hill, where now a large double wooden door had appeared. "The compass is in here."

Killian glared at them, resisting the urge to obliterate them all for having interrupted his moment with Emma. He glanced at said princess, who quickly averted her eyes away and stood up straighter, lifting her chin up slightly. She was looking at me. He smirked in triumph - _oh_ how better he was getting at reading that woman.

"So what are we waiting for?" Emma said impatiently to Robin. "Let's go in."

Robin stood in front of the door and gave them an apologetic look. "I'm afraid I won't be going beyond this door with all of you. I've done my part; I must get back to my men now. After all, I do have a son I have to return to as well." He looked at Killian, who nodded in understanding.

"But there are a few things you must know before I leave," Robin continued. "You will face a double edged sword once you move beyond this door. If you choose to steal the Desiderium, you are under risk of getting caught and may face severe consequences by its owner. This seems more favorable as there hasn't been much news about his whereabouts in the Dark Forest for a while.

_But_ you may also choose to face Rumplestiltskin himself, and strike a deal with him regarding the compass. Know that this man never gives a favour without requesting for one in return. However..." He gave them all a hard look. "His deals are also very risky. So be prepared to make sacrifices if you choose to take this path."

Robin began to make way to leave until Graham spoke up. "How do you know all of this?" he asked curiously.

Robin didn't turn his back to look at them when he replied. "A long time ago, a woman I used to love made a deal with him." He took a deep breath before turning to face them.

"I lost her since then."

* * *

When they fell in love, they fell together - literally.

He jumped when he saw that someone else had fallen into the trap hole with him and instinctively aimed his bow at them. "Who are you?"

"Shoot me," the person said in a hollow voice. "I don't care. I'm better off dead."

Robin lowered his bow and arrow cautiously and squinted to see who his company was. Widening his eyes in realization, he aimed the bow at the person once again.

"You're the-"

"Evil Queen? Heartless ice-blooded bitch?" the woman finished with a bored voice. "Yes, I'm her, though I'd rather be called _Regina."_

Though taken aback by her indifference, he stood his ground and continued to narrow his eyes at her. "Why are you here? Did you do this?" He nodded towards his surroundings, the dark hole they had both fallen into. However she didn't reply and simply looked at him with an expressionless face.

"Answer me!" he demanded firmly. He put back his bow and arrow and strode towards her, unsheathing his sword. "You think you're so high above us lowly peasants?" he said in a low, harsh voice. "Do you know what damage you've done to the people you've harmed?"

The Evil Queen still did not reply or budge, and just continued to look at him. Then she closed her eyes and let out a long, defeated sigh. _"Please,"_ she whispered. "Just kill me and be done with it."

Stunned by the dead look in her eyes, he lowered his weapon. "What makes an evil queen, who has hurt and killed so many, want the same fate for herself?" he wondered out loud.

"I wasn't always this way," she replied quietly, looking away. Then she quickly looked back at him angrily. "Look," she snapped. "I've just lost the one thing left alive that matters to me so there's nothing else left for me live for. So choose: either kill me or let me wallow in my misery."

Robin raised an eyebrow at her and to her disbelief, he chuckled. "Sounds just like melodrama to me. Are you sure you're the Evil Queen? From the stories I've heard, I wouldn't have expected the great Evil Queen Regina to break down so easily over loss," he mused. If this woman was telling the truth, then surely he could afford a few snides towards her.

She stood up straight in fury, causing him to stand his ground once again. "You know nothing about me," she snarled. "Loss is what made me who I am today in the first place. It's why I became the 'Evil Queen'; it's why I do what I do today."

"And what may have the Evil Queen lost to have her become such a terrible thing?"

Regina's sulky posture immediately returned and she sunk against the wall of earth behind her. "My husband and my child," she said quietly. Then she clenched her fists in anger. "And it was all because of her. That-that-" she spat the name out like poison. _"-Princess_ Snow White. That little blabbermouth had to tell my mother about them, costing them their lives…" She trailed off and sagged down lower until she was finally sitting on the ground. "I had to sacrifice everything to get my revenge on that brat. And now because of her-" she buried her face into her arms. "-my own father is gone."

Despite how much he had hated her due to what he heard she had done, Robin was still a good man with a kind heart, and so he put away his wariness for a moment and let pity and compassion take over. "You had a son?" Regina nodded, her head still buried in her arms. "I have one too. Though I'd hate to admit it, you and I are quite alike. I, too, had lost something and as a reaction, I also lost my own way in life. I now lead a life of thievery, with no real home to turn to." He hesitated before continuing. "But I have hope that I can change my ways someday, even if it takes time. I'm… I'm sure you can, too."

Regina looked up with him in surprise. "You really think so?"

He couldn't help but smile at the innocence of the Evil Queen's face when she had asked the question. _Do I really think so?_ He asked himself as his eyes searched Regina's face. She was looking at him with such hopeful eyes (_such a pure expression for a person who had done so many tainted deeds_, he thought in amazement); so he finally gave in, wanting to believe the next words he would say more than anything.

"I know so."

**-R&R-**

When they both declared love, he was still a thief, but she was no longer an Evil Queen.

"Regina," Robin whispered. "Come here."

Regina crawled across the tent and into his lap, where he cradled her gently. "Look," he whispered, holding his hand up for her to see the round object he was holding. "It's the _Desiderium_ - a compass that I've gotten from this man at the village. I overheard that it points to any place you most desire." He looked down at her with a warm smile. "Anywhere you desire, Regina, we can go there," he whispered in her ear.

Regina stroke his face gently and smiled widely. "Really?"

He nodded, still smiling. "Really," he replied. "We can start over - a new life, together. We can be what you've always wanted: a _family."_ He gestured towards his 3-year-old son, who was sound asleep not too far from them.

But his words caused the smile on Regina's face to vanish, only to be replaced by a worried expression. "But how can we? I'm not fit for a mother… I did so many terrible things..."

Robin shook his head. "That was the past. And you are not an evil person, Regina - you just did evil things."

"But I tried to kill Snow, I-I even trapped my own father in a mirror just so I could get magic-"

"Regina, listen to me," Robin said, cupping her cheek gently with his hand. "That was because before, you no longer believed you could love again. You lost Hope and turned to Darkness. But you have me and Roland now - you don't need to be hopeless." He smiled down at her. "Love is strength, Regina. You can never be weak if you have love. After all…" he laced his fingers into hers. "If you have two hearts to claim as your own, you can do anything."

Regina looked at him, confused. "Two hearts…? What do you mean…"

He moved their hands towards his chest. "You have mine. It's yours."

She smiled at him sadly, her eyes slowly becoming glossier as she let out a humorless laugh. "You can't love me… I'm a terrible person-"

"But I do," he said firmly. "I, Robin Hood, love you, Regina Mills, with all that I have, with all that I am." He moved her hands, still intertwined with his, towards his lips and kissed them tenderly.

"My heart is yours."

**-R&R-**

When she began to slip away, he only held on to her tightly.

"Regina, are you worrying about that prophecy again? Don't be - it was probably someone who was angry at you before, trying to get you back-"

"It's real, okay?" Regina snapped. Then she sighed and looked at him apologetically. "I'm sorry, Robin. It's just… This prophecy was from a Seer, and they always come true."

Robin sighed and slipped his hands around her bare shoulders, massaging circles on her skin. "What did she say again?"

"On a ship will arrive a Saviour, and they will be the Evil Queen's destruction," she recited. She groaned and buried her face in his arms. "_What do I do, Robin_…"

"Shh, shh," he cooed, holding her tightly. Then he jerked his head up, a sudden idea forming in his head. "I'll tell you what - I've actually heard of a man nearby here who has studied Dark Magic and is magical himself. His name is Rumpelstiltskin. Maybe he can help us."

Regina looked up at him. "You really think so?"

"I know so." He smirked down at her and glanced suggestively at their bare bodies. "Now _I_, however, can think of a few things that _I_ can help you with…"

**-R&R-**

When she finally slipped away, he held on - only to be let go.

_"As payment, I want that precious Desiderium of yours."_

_"Wh-what? No! I refuse."_

_"Oh trust me, dearie, you won't be needing that compass anymore. Not if you have this curse in your hands."_

"Regina! Did you talk to him?" Robin asked as she walked towards him.

"Yes," she replied quietly, looking away from him.

"So? Did he give you a way to escape this prophecy?"

She continued to avert his gaze and replied stiffly. "Yes. He did."

"So?" He looked at her impatiently.

"It's a curse," she finally snapped. "I can't do it now because I don't have all the ingredients - it will take some time. It'll bring everyone from the Enchanted Forest to another world - including that damn saviour - and they'll lose their memories."

Robin looked at her incredulously. "Don't tell me- You didn't accept _that…_ Did you?"

Regina gave him a pained smile and touched his face gently. "I had to Robin," she whispered in a ragged voice. "You know how it is - we have to survive. I have to do this if I want to live."

He continued to look at her in disbelief. "But how I can live knowing that thousands of people had their lives and homes ripped away from them?!"

She took a step back and looked away with a pained expression. "Robin…You're going with them," she whispered.

The look he gave her was haunted. "What do you mean?" he said quietly.

"In order for this curse to succeed, I have to give up the thing I love most," she said sadly. "And that's you and Roland."

"No, no, Regina - you don't have to do this. We can find another way-"

She shook her head, tears slipping down her face. "No, Robin, there is no other way." She swallowed and look at him in the eye. "He-he's right. Love is weakness." Then she lifted her hand up and closed her eyes and flicked a small object out of her hand, the movement causing the air to stir around them.

"Regina, what are you doing?!"

The wind grew stronger and stronger, until a spiral was made visible, its pointed tip digging into the ground. Robin stumbled and fell into the dark hole the spiral had made, along with the tent and horse that were behind him. He had managed to hold on to the edge of the void, giving Regina one last pained, desperate look, and screamed her name, before she winced and let out a sob as the void swallowed him whole.

"I'm letting you go."

* * *

**A/N:** Yes, I decided to have a shot with Outlaw Queen (they're more of a plot device - the purpose was to provide bg info on Regina & some other 'hints' about other... _things)._ Do I ship them in real life? I don't really know 'cause I'll need to watch them interact more in the show ahah.

This is the last we'll see of Robin for a while. Also this ship won't be really focused on as this is more of a CS fic.

NEXT CHAPTER - Killian, Emma, & the others meet Rumpelstiltskin, who surprisingly knows quite a lot about some of them - especially Killian & Emma.


	21. Chapter 21

_"Killian, you said you need to get to Wonderland to kill Reg- the Evil Queen, right?"_

_"Aye."_

_"And there's no other way of getting to her? You must destroy her?"_

_"Yes… Why, is there something you'd like to tell me, Robin?"_

_"Just… Before you kill her, tell her this…. Tell her: Love is strength and that she is not weak if she have two hearts to claim as her own.' Tell her that before doing anything, and maybe.. Maybe she'll realize something. Maybe something good will happen. Maybe you won't have to kill her."_

_"All right… And if it doesn't work?"_

_"Then there's no hope for her…. Do what you have to do."_

Robin's words rang through Killian's mind as they walked through the dark tunnel. The man had been acting quite strange since Killian had told him about his reason for journeying to Wonderland, and the request Robin made was even more peculiar. It puzzled Killian; if he didn't know any better, Robin seemed like he knew the Evil Queen…

He shook his head - _no,_ it was impossible. Robin didn't like to associate with anyone or anything to do with magic, so it would be a miracle for Regina of all people to be the exception.

He heard a grunt beside him and turned his head blindly towards its direction, trying to adjust his eyes to the tenebrous environment of the tunnel. He could understand now why it was called 'the Dark Forest' and why Rumpelstiltskin was known widely as the Dark One - there was barely any light in this bloody place, and his frustration in his inability to find the blonde head (who he was sure had been the one to grunt) only grew stronger each step. Luckily he managed to see the outline of said princess, and saw that she had stopped walking.

"You all right, Princess?" he whispered.

"I'm fine. I just hit my leg on something," she muttered back, massaging her leg.

At the sound of her voice, Killian swiftly moved towards her figure and tried to will his eyes to see through the darkness and see what had hurt her. "Is it bad? Can you walk?" He asked her.

"Yes, I told you I'm fine," Emma replied in an irritated voice. _The stubbornness of this bloody woman_, he thought as Emma slapped his hand away when he held her waist in an attempt to help her straighten up. "Jones I said I'm _fine-"_

"Hey! Do you see that!"

They both whipped their heads towards Eric, whose silhouette had become interestingly easier to find. Killian squinted his eyes and saw in the distance a large torch leaning against a wall further into the tunnel. He glanced at Emma, who was now limping hurriedly towards the torch, and followed suit.

He rolled his eyes and matched his pace to hers, now walking beside her. "Oh yes, you're perfectly fine," he whispered mockingly.

She didn't have time to retort, however, as a high-pitched laughter suddenly echoed through the tunnel. The five of them stopped walking abruptly and whipped their heads around, trying to find the source of the sound.

"Who's that?" Graham demanded in a loud voice, his hands reaching for his dagger. "Show yourself!"

"Ohoho but don't stop on my account! You're so close!" the laughing voice replied.

"Are you Rumplestiltskin?" Killian called out.

"You'll have to find out for yourselves!" it cackled back. And as if on cue, the fire in the torch lit up in a bright blaze, revealing what looked like a metal door. They glanced at each other before eyeing the door warily, and to their surprise, the door slowly creaked open.

Smee gulped. "S-sir, Captain, sir?" he looked at Killian. "I-I- think he wants us to go inside, sir."

Killian glanced at Graham who nodded, and they unsheathed their weapons. The other three followed their actions and cautiously walked towards the door. Eric gave it a light kick to open it further, signalling that it appeared to be safe. They followed his motion and walked inside to find a dimly lit room completely littered in the most peculiar objects they have ever seen. Small orbs hung on loose strings above them, and on tables were stacks of yellowed paper, with golden instruments weighing down on them. Smee widened his eyes eagerly at the sight of the orbs and reached up to touch them, only to have his hands slapped away by Emma.

"Don't touch anything," she hissed at him, and he shrunk down in shame.

The sound of a high-pitch giggle stopped them in their tracks, and they looked in front of them to see a figure sitting at a desk, its head hidden by the shadows behind it.

"That's right, dearie, you tell him," the figure said. Then its arms gestured towards the swords pointing at him. "Why the unpleasant greeting when I so kindly showed you where my office is?"

Graham narrowed his eyes at the figure. "Your obscurity is suspicious and we are only being wise. Show yourself!" he commanded. But the figure only let out a shrill laugh.

"My, my, somebody doesn't know their manners!" the voice sang. "Tell me, what business does a huntsman have in the Dark One's lair?"

Though slightly taken aback by the figure's knowledge of his identity, he stood his ground and continued to point his dagger at him. "Who are you? How do you know me?" he demanded.

Then slowly, the figure leaned forward into the light, finally revealing its face. Killian almost let out a gasp at the sight of image - it was a man, or perhaps half man and half beast, as his skin was a dull, sickening greyish green. His yellow eyes slightly bulged out as he grinned mischievously at the sight of them, a hint of a gleam radiating from his gaze. _He looks like a bloody crocodile,_ Killian thought in disgust.

"Rumpelstiltskin, at your service," the man-beast gave a slightly polite bow, ignoring Graham's second question. Then he roamed his eyes over the company of five, until his gaze reached Emma's, the sight of her eliciting a shrill laugh from him.

"Ohoho!" he pointed at her with a sly grin. _"Ohoho!_ Interesting, interesting - I wasn't expecting to see you anytime soon, _Princess Emma."_

Emma furrowed her eyebrows and lifted her chin. "How do you know my name?"

"Oh, rumours, perhaps." He stood up from his seat, causing the group in front him to stiffen, but he only began to pace around his chair. "Tell me, Princess, have you felt a sudden urge to _save_ something, hmm?" Emma raised an eyebrow questioningly, unsure where he was going with this. Rumpelstiltskin stopped walking then glanced towards her. "Has Regina tried to kill you for the past 5 years?" he asked casually.

She stiffened at the sound of the Evil Queen's name, but suddenly realized… "No," she said in a tone far too surprised for her liking. She cleared her throat, not wanting him to throw her off. "No, actually. She hasn't since…" Ten years ago. She trailed off, thinking about Henry - the Dark One didn't need to know specifics. However another memory rose to her head: '_The Black Guards may be going after Emm_a.'

"Actually, wait," she looked up at him. "The Black Guards - they think she might have sent them to go after-"

Rumpelstiltskin waved his hand as if to dismiss the rest of her sentence. "Oh no they're not looking for _you_ specifically, dearie," he said. Then he looked back at her. "So she hasn't tried to get to you? No _direct_ contact, no threats _specifically_ to you, no _nothing?"_ he asked, now looking at her curiously. She shook her head slowly.

"Ohoho! _Oho!_ Interesting… The Evil Queen doesn't seem to know it's _you!"_ he said in a quiet voice, as if talking to himself. _This can work to my advantage_, he thought in triumph. The five of them exchanged glances, raising their eyebrows with the same thought - _this guy is messed up._

Rumpelstiltskin suddenly turned on his heel to face Emma and started walking slowly towards her, a mischievous glint in his eye. Killian shifted in his spot and instinctively made a small motion to block him; however Rumpelstiltskin didn't fail to notice this.

"Ooh, well would you look at that!" Rumpelstiltskin chimed, clapping his hands together as if he made a grand discovery. "The Princess brings a _boyfriend!"_ His eyes lowered to Killian's chest, where the first few unbuttoned buttons of his black shirt revealed an oddly shaped pendant resting amidst stray chest hair.

"How curious," Rumpelstiltskin said pensively, peering at the pendant closely. Killian stiffened under his knowing gaze. "How curious indeed." Rumpelstiltskin turned to face Emma and began to move closer to her. "Never knew that pirate Captains were your type-"

"Go any closer and I'll cut your throat," Killian snarled as Rumpelstiltskin had took a step closer.

"Tell me, _Killian Jones,"_ the man-beast said in a low voice. "Oh yes! I know your name, laddie. Killian Jones, son of the great Calypso. Speaking of which, tomorrow would be her death anniversary, no?" He shot a wicked grin to Killian's stunned face before gently pushing him out of the way to walk towards Emma.

_How in the bloody hell did he know my mother?!_ Killian snapped out of his shock and whirled around towards Emma, who was eyeing Rumpelstiltskin with a guarded, yet unimpressed, face.

"What do you want from us?" she finally asked as she lifted her chin defiantly.

Rumpelstiltskin snorted. "Oh no no no. I believe it is _you-"_ he gestured to the rest of the men. "-who stormed into my peaceful abode, dearie. So the real question is: what do _you_ want, Princess?"

She exchanged a glance with Killian. Well, he has a point there.

"We're looking for a Dezi-dee-ree-" Smee began, face scrunching up in a struggle to pronounce the word correctly. "-compass, sir, please sir."

Killian glared at Smee's impulsivity, who quickly jumped behind Eric's back to hide. A flicker of emotion briefly passed by Rumpelstiltskin's face at the mention of the compass, so quick that it would have been barely noticed if one was not paying close attention.

"I'm afraid I can't help you then," he replied nonchalantly, turning his back at them. He waved his hand as if to dismiss them. "Nice chat; move along."

"Rumpelstiltskin," Emma suddenly spoke up. He stopped walking and slowly turned to look at her. "Please - we need this compass-"

"And so do I, Princess." He hissed as she began to walk closer to him. "Don't test my-"

"_Will you let me finish_?! We're need it to find the Evil Queen and kill her!" Emma blurted out, desperate to get him to listen to her. Killian looked at Emma in surprise - it was odd to see her lose her cool like that.

When he looked back at Rumpelstiltskin, he was surprised to find that all mischievousness had disappeared from his face. Replacing it was a hard, twisted look, one of pain and anger mixed together, and it seemed for a moment that he was going to lash out on all of them. Killian automatically put a tight grip on his sword, ready to fight if the Dark One decided to strike. But Rumpelstiltskin didn't move at all; in fact he was now looking at them pensively, a line of struggle visible on his furrowed eyebrows, the expression-change so quick that Killian failed to notice exactly when it happened.

Rumpelstiltskin looked at Emma, his forehead still creased with thought. _"Interesting..."_ he trailed off. "Actually, I'll tell you what, dearie: I'll give you this little compass of mine," he said after a moment's thought.

Emma's shoulders sagged in relief. "Thank you so-"

"_For a price_." The five of them stiffened and watched Rumpelstiltskin as he walked back to his desk. Indeed, Robin was right - the Dark One always worked through deals, and they were afraid of what the price may be.

"You see, I originally obtained this compass for…. _special_ means, but unfortunately my journey to my greatest desire was thwarted-" Rumpelstiltskin gritted his teeth as he lifted his wrists and glared at the large black cuffs on them. "-by the lovely Regina herself, no doubt. So you can understand if I say your mission interests me - and since it's you, Princess, who will be carrying out the destruction of the Evil Queen, I'm more than happy to give my little compass to you."

Emma arched an eyebrow at the other men - why did Rumpelstiltskin seem like he knew something about Emma that they all didn't?

He grabbed a small object from the desk and lifted it up for them to see. "In order for me to freely give this to you, I need you to do one simple thing when you reach Regina's castle - find a boy named Baelfire and bring him back to me, alive and whole. Of course do what you went there to do - I won't be missing that woman when she finally gets what she deserves - but make sure that Baelfire is alive and safe."

They all exchanged silent glances of agreement. Sounded like a fair enough deal.

"This Baelfire kid - how old is he? What does he look like?" Emma asked.

Rumpelstiltskin scrunched up his face, the expression a conflict between fury and despair. "He would be 18 years old," he replied in a low voice. "I-I wouldn't know what he looks like... It's been too long... But an older version like this." He grabbed a sheet of paper and handed it to Emma. It had a sketch of a young boy smiling with the name "Bae" scribbled at the bottom; the initial "R" right beside it.

Emma looked back at Rumpelstilskin, a sudden thought crossing her mind as she looked at the picture. "He's your son?"

"I am not liking these questions, dearie!" He sang in an irritated tone. Then he gave her a serious look. "Let's just say Regina was just as perceptive as you and found him before I could, and took not only the boy, but something else." He gave another glare to the cuffs on his wrist then clapped his hands. "Enough explanations! _Do we have a deal or not_?"

"So," Killian said slowly. "You will give us the compass, only if we find your son and bring him back to you?"

"Yes, yes," he waved the words away in annoyance.

"Deal," Emma agreed after a moment's pause. She looked at Killian, who nodded and took a step towards to Rumpelstiltskin to get the compass. He reached out while Rumpelstiltskin slowly dropped the compass into his palm; then swiftly and suddenly, he grabbed Killian's wrist and pulled him in.

"Just a warning, laddie," he hissed in a low voice. "If Bae is hurt in any way-"

"Listen, _crocodile."_ Killian yanked his hand out and leaned in towards Rumpelstiltskin, a dangerous expression on his face. "I don't like the games you seem to playing with Emma. I assure you, this Baelfire will be brought here safely, so stop with the mind tricks."

Rumpelstiltskin simply gave a sly grin. "Just like your father, I see, Killian _Jones._ You seem capable of making sure the Princess is-" he glanced at Emma with a mischievous smirk. "-_taken care_ of, so I will take your word for it."

Killian ignored his comment about his father and glared at him one last time before turning to leave. "Let's go," he muttered as he shoved past Eric and Smee. The rest followed his lead and walked out the door, however they heard Rumpelstiltskin's voice one last time before they left the room entirely.

"One more thing, dearie!" he yelled to Emma. "Don't tell Regina anything I told you today or that we met!"

Easy enough - she wasn't really planning to. "Why not?" She wondered out loud.

"Because, dearie," he giggled. "She doesn't need to know _you're_ the one coming to stop her."

* * *

**A/N:** Rumple is one of my favourite characters in the show (probably b/c Robert C is an amazing actor). I hope I did some justice to his character in my writing - it was pretty difficult to write him!

-Does everyone know now what "CJ" stands for in that sketch Emma saw in Killian's quarters a few chapters back? :)

NEXT CHAPTER - Captain Swan have some real talks.


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N:** CS bonding for days. Thank you again for the kind reviews :) I love you all!

* * *

Happiness is the ultimate goal - the ends to any means chosen by any one person. And in this cruel universe, it is reasonable that Love is the most desirable means of achieving such a goal, because who would not want a life as fulfilling and as promising as one without loneliness and instead, eternal satisfaction?

But there are many other ways to achieve happiness, she discovered. They can be simple things, like the discovery of beauty on an ordinary day, or grand quests such as the call to justice. However there was one particular path that she was enthralled with; a means that she became drawn to, and in the end, obsessed with:

_Power._

Power, and the taste of revenge - a dangerous path filled with anger and fueled by a dark, unsatisfied past. A path that can only be chosen by those willing to blacken their heart and sacrifice any obstacles that may prevent them from reaching their goal. This is the means she chose to reach her ultimate goal of happiness, and currently, she was quite convinced that it was the right decision.

But was it? Was she right in choosing Power over Love; Revenge over Hope? She had to sacrifice many things to get to where she was today: a chance at True Love, and eventually, a glimpse of having a family. She could have gained back all that she had lost in the first place, and perhaps she would not be where she is today: powerful, feared, yet deeply unsatisfied and... _Lonely._

It has been five years since she let go said chance at second love, and now she sits in her thinking chair, wondering how they are right now. She didn't kill them and sent them to another realm for a reason: her love for them was only growing and was not full-fledged, but she couldn't risk having the latter occur. So she took the magic bean she stole from that wretched man and thought of the first place she could think of, and with that she sent her love and his beautiful child to a different realm.

_How old would the boy be now?_ she thinks. 8 years old, perhaps. She smiled - he was always such a sweet, charming little thing that always made her and Robin laugh. What a shame she wasn't there to see him grow up...

"Queen Regina?"

Regina whipped her head towards the door; she was so engrossed in her thoughts that she had not noticed the knocking. "Come in," she said.

A young man of about 18 years old slowly stepped into the room, carrying in his arms a bowl of what looked like fruit. "I got you food like you asked," the youth stated in a rather dry tone.

Regina raised an eyebrow at his attitude and let out a chuckle. "My, my, dear Baelfire, why use such a tone? Smile a little; it suits you more." She walked over and picked a fruit out of the bowl and popped it in her mouth.

"Let me go," Baelfire growled. "What do you need me for, anyway?! You have _him-"_ he gestured to the floor below them. "- so why do I have to stay with you in this hell hole?! Bring me home."

Regina let out a mirthless laugh. "And give your father the satisfaction and happiness of having his child back? Never - not when he took away my happiness," she snarled back.

Baelfire let out a snort. "He wasn't the one who put that requirement in the curse and you know that. Besides, you had a choice: you could've thrown the curse away. You're just looking for someone to blame all your unhappiness on!"

Regina narrowed her eyes at him. "Listen, you little _brat-"_

"My father is going to get me back! He hasn't stopped before and he won't stop now! And he'll destroy you when he does!" Baelfire yelled, not wanting her to get the final say.

However this only made Regina laugh. "Oh, I don't think so, my dear." She took a step closer to him and smirked. "You see, I found a little something my mother made: two cuffs for each wrist, and these cuffs prevent any being from performing magic. So let's see how your precious father, the Dark One who is so keen on always using magic, will get you back. _Hmm?"_

Baelfire stiffened at the revelation for a moment and glared at her, then he did something that made Regina scream - he spat on her foot.

"You ungrateful, wretched-!"

"Let me go! Don't you see I don't want to be here?! If you're looking for your second chance at happiness, choose _him,_ not me! At least that guy listens to you!" Baelfire shouted, pointing at the floor below them repeatedly as he yelled.

Regina stiffened and glared at him. "You're not going anywhere - you _will_ love me as your mother because I _said_ so, and so will he. And I _will_ be happy because I won't have not only one son, but _two."_ She gave him a wicked smile before waving her hands to dismiss him. "Now leave before I use that spell again to _make_ you leave," she warned. Baelfire glared at her one last time before going back to his sulky posture and exiting the room.

As soon as he closed the door, Regina collapsed on the ground in front of her mirror, burying her face in her hands.

"What's wrong, my little Queen?" the Mirror asked.

"The boy is right - he doesn't want to be here, so how can he learn to love me as his mother? How can I have that chance back..." she sobbed.

"What about the other boy?"

She stopped crying and snarled. "He's different - he's much kinder and sympathetic than that Baelfire, but he has the same spirit as that _girl_ I took him from." She snorted. "God he's just like that whole family. You'd think they're actually blood. No, I don't think he'd learn to love me even if he has a heart of gold."

"So what will you do now then, my little Queen?"

Regina looked up at the image of her father and gave a wicked smile. "I'm going to find that Saviour and kill him, and I will enact that curse and Baelfire and that boy will forget everything... And I will get my happiness - that's what I will do."

* * *

Back in the forest, a company of five sat around a fire, getting ready to rest before their much-awaited journey to the entrance of Wonderland. Indeed, their quest was important, but sleep and rest was just as crucial as well.

Emma was amongst this five, and she came back from scouring the forest, holding a pile of firewood. She threw a couple of pieces into the already-blazing fire pit, and scanned the area. Eric, Graham, and Smee appeared to be already sleeping, as Emma was the one who had volunteered to take first watch. She couldn't sleep even if she tried anyway - the events at the Dark One's place were too confusing, and the fact that it seemed like Rumpelstiltskin knew something about Emma and Regina that they didn't baffled her even more. She tried to analyze the words he said - he made it seem like Regina was looking for her but not specifically... _her?_ The hints he threw at her were so confusing.

Emma shook her head, deciding not to give it much thought. The Dark One seemed to be the type to play games with people's minds, so she won't let him win this one by over-thinking things. She made a motion to sit down but then stopped mid-way - something else had caught her eye.

Leaning on a log not too far from her was Killian, staring at the fire pit will a faraway look in his face. For once, Emma couldn't exactly pinpoint his expression, but she sensed something was wrong so she decided to throw away her pride and keep him company.

"Couldn't sleep too?" she asked as she sat close beside him. Killian looked at her from the corner of his eyes, a flicker of a surprised expression briefly passing by his face before settling back to its hard, unreadable state. He gave a stiff, tiny nod.

"Is it because of what Rumpelstiltskin said about your mother?" Emma asked quietly.

Killian finally whipped his head to face her. "Suddenly interested in talking to me now?" he snapped, giving her a hard, cold glare.

Although she was taken aback by his dangerous attitude, she kept her cool indifference. "Some things are better left unsaid," she said nonchalantly. Then she took a deep breath before resolving an inner conflict, and continued. "To keep things even, I'll tell you something I should've told you one thing a long time ago: The reason for my revenge against Regina."

Killian stiffened beside her but remained silent - it was strange of her to be talking freely like this, but he was listening. "August isn't my real brother," Emma continued when he didn't respond. "We're sort of.. Adopted siblings. But he wasn't the only 'adopted' brother I had. There was another - a boy named Henry." She took another breath in - this would be the second time she had to talk about his death and it wasn't easy, but something about Killian's sad demeanour bothered Emma. She wanted to keep his mind off of whatever was bothering him.

"A long time ago, when my mom was still a kid, she accidentally told Cora, Regina's mom, about Regina's lover and her child. So Cora killed Regina's lover and the child. But Regina blamed my mom for their deaths and tried to get revenge on my mom for the longest time. I guess she wanted to get revenge on my mom's entire family as well because she started going after me.

One day when me, August, and Henry were in the woods, Regina appeared out of nowhere and started threatening to kill me, saying that the best way to get revenge on my mom was to take away her happiness: me. We managed to get away somehow, but we lived a paranoid life after that. Regina had eyes everywhere and her threat had no escape. But after a month or two, I didn't hear anything from her, so we relaxed a little."

Emma let out a humorless chuckle. "But I let my guard down too easily. One day I woke up and Henry... was gone. She took him. Me and August looked everywhere for him - the castles, August's house, almost every house in the damn village. Then we heard him - yelling from a small cave where we used to have all our adventures. But Regina got to us before we could even enter the cave, and long story short, she tried to turn August back into a wooden boy and send him into a Black Hole to die."

She looked down a gave a tiny smile. "But obviously she failed, and she disappeared for a while. I took that opportunity to run into the cave to get Henry and he was there - inside a cage and he was bleeding like crazy, but he was alive. I tried to break him out of there but he told me there was no hope because it was enchanted. Then.." Emma looked up at the night sky and let out a shaky breath. "It was all a blur after that. Regina came out and she was laughing, and then Henry disappeared in thin air, and she was holding... His heart." Emma bit her lip, refusing to let out a tear - what was it about Killian that's making her so vulnerable this way? "She crushed it. She killed him," she finished in a quiet voice.

When she looked at Killian, all anger had disappeared from his face. Replaced by it was one of pity and pain, and Emma couldn't decide which one was worse. She hated whenever people looked at her that way. Feeling irritated, she said, "Will you stop looking at me like-"

"Why are you telling me this?" Killian suddenly asked softly. He was looking at her curiously now, his blue eyes still soft with the expression from earlier.

Emma gave a strained smile. She wasn't sure herself why he was telling him all of this, as she never uttered the entire story out loud to anyone else before, but with Killian there were too many unexpected surprises. "I'm suddenly interested in talking to you, remember?" She let out a forced laugh.

Killian didn't smile back at the joke, however, and just turned to face the fire once again. "Yes, it's my mother," he finally said quietly. "She died when I was only five. I don't remember much about her - only what she looks like because of a drawing Liam made of her when we were older."

Realization dawned on Emma as she recalled a vague memory. "So that sketch of the woman in your room," she said slowly. "It said 'CJ' on the bottom - that was your mom, wasn't it? Calypso Jones?" He nodded but didn't say any more of it, so Emma took that as a finality in that conversation.

Silence fell between them and they sat like that for a while, staring at the crackling fire in front of them, thoughts weaving into their minds. Although their conversation was anything but, having each other as company was eerily... _comfortable._ Emma dared herself to look at Killian from the corner of her eyes and to her surprise, he had a dead look on his face. One that screamed grief and loss, she noted. She knew the look all too well.

It didn't suit him at all. She was so used to his cheeky nature and lopsided grins; seeing him like this made her feel very uncomfortable and... sympathetic towards him. She suddenly felt a strange emotion grow in her chest as she decided to break the silence.

"You didn't have to tell me any of this, you know," Emma said seriously, looking at him. "I told you what I told you because I wanted to, not because I wanted to extract anything from you."

"Aye, I know," Killian replied. "And I as well."

The honesty in his response touched something in Emma's chest, and she suddenly felt guilt fill her. Perhaps she shouldn't have ignored him the entire day. Perhaps she should've given him a chance.

Perhaps she should.

She shocked him and herself by placing a gentle hand on his chin; turning his head to face her. "Hey," she said, looking at him with a kind smile. "I know it's hard to talk about things like this, and that's cool. But... Just know that... that..." She drew in a sharp breath, though her pride got to the best of her. _I'm always here_. She wanted to say it, but couldn't bring it within herself to voice it. After all, who was she to utter words promising friendship, or even something more, when she still had so many walls to break down?

Killian finally looked at her in the eyes, wonder filling his face at Emma's hesitation. Then before they knew it, they started laughing together.

"Are you requesting for a truce, Princess?" He asked with a soft chuckle as he lowered her hand and cupped it gently in his own.

Emma simply smiled and turned back towards the fire, pulling her hand away gently. Silence filled the space between them once again.

"Why do we hate each other so much?"

Killian looked back at Emma again in surprise, her question ringing through the cold air. This time she was the one willing not to look at him.

"Well," Killian began, a smirk forming on his face. "I wouldn't exactly call it _'hate'..."_

Emma sighed and nudged him playfully in the shoulder. "No, seriously. We pretty much disliked each other from the start."

"Perhaps it was because you had a knife threatening my throat when it should have been the other way around?"

Emma laughed at Killian's scowl. "Sorry, Captain. Old habits die hard."

He shook his head with a smile small on his face. Then he looked at her. "Or perhaps," he began softly. "It was because you caught me off guard. You read me so easily. So forgive me, for I am not used to such vulnerability."

Emma averted her eyes away from him. "Likewise," she responded quietly.

He smirked at her. "Open book, love."

Emma rolled her eyes, ignoring the tinge in her heart as he said his nickname for her. "And yet again, likewise."

They remained quiet after that, going back to staring at the fire thoughtfully. Then Emma got up, finally feeling the urge to sleep.

Killian seemed like he wasn't going to sleep anytime soon, so she might as well get some rest. "Just to remind you, Captain..." she stood up stretching with a yawn.

Killian smiled at her and understood. _Open book_. She didn't want him or her to act any differently the next day - she was still the guarded Princess afraid of letting anyone in, and he understood that. Yes, they both accepted the fact that they shared an undeniable connection and couldn't get rid of each other, but if anything, Emma needed time. She needed air to breathe to process her thoughts about this newfound bond they had formed. Besides, there wasn't much time for regular courting - they had a mission to focus on, after all.

But Killian doesn't give up so easily.

He could always sneak in a few moments here and there…

"Aye, Princess. You are still an insufferable lass."

Emma snorted. "And you too, Jones. Even the lass part," she added with a smirk.

Then she turned to walk away, leaving him to his thoughts.

But before turning completely, she stopped herself and looked back at him._ I'm glad we understand each other so well_, she thought with a small smile on her face. Maybe, just maybe, if this whole quest went well, she could allow herself more leisure with Killian…

"Good night, Jones," she called out before finally lying down on the ground to sleep.

"Good night."

Maybe she was imagining it, or maybe she was too tired, but she could have sworn he had called her 'Emma'.

* * *

NEXT CHAPTER - Graham & Eric give Killian some man-to-man advice and someone unexpected ambushes their way.


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: **I decided this fic will be no more or less than 30-32 chapters. If at the end, though, you guys would like to see a short epilogue or "1 year later" sort of thing about Emma & Killian, I can add one more chapter :)

As well, for those who may be interested, I MAY be starting another **AU/Captain Swan** fanfic soon! But I'll give details on that near the end of this fic :)

Enjoy some GrahamxEricxKillian brotp here...

* * *

The next morning Killian woke up feeling a strange kind of peace, and although he knew it was largely because of his heartwarming conversation with the princess last night, he told himself it was because he was able to get a couple hours of sleep in - thanks to Graham who had woken up and offered to take watch. However his state of serenity was short-lived, as Emma was now stomping around, grumbling to herself as everyone else was panicking.

"What's wrong?" he asked, furrowing his eyebrows at Emma's frustrated face.

"I-can't-get-this-stupid-compass-to-work-" she muttered, face turning slightly red as she shook the compass in frustration.

"Whoa, whoa, calm down there, lass," Killian said, standing right behind her and placing a hand over her shoulder to the one that was holding the compass. She stopped shaking it but continued to glare at it, breathing heavily. "If you keep doing that, you'll break the thing and that won't do you any good, no?" He smiled at her and gently pried her fingers open, still standing close behind her, his chest against her back. "You see, love, the Desiderium doesn't work if what you desire is not in the same world. It'll just spin continuously. See?" He took the compass from her and placed it gently on her palm and kept his hand steady under hers, then he reached over her other shoulder with his other hand to point at the compass. He was right - as soon as she touched the compass, its arrow was now spinning uncontrollably and aimlessly.

"Don't think of Regina right now - she's in another world so the compass won't work. Think of the Hidden Entrance to Wonderland. Focus on that," he instructed in her ear. She nodded and swallowed at the breathiness of his voice, which surprised Killian. He hadn't noticed how close they were until now.

She closed her eyes and scrunched up her face in concentration, while Killian looked at the side of her face in amusement. _How cute,_ he thought with a small smile as she started to mumble something incoherently.

"Move…" she mumbled, though Killian couldn't hear her.

"What was that, Princess?"

"Move the hell away from me before I kick your ass," she hissed at him, although her venomous voice couldn't hide the playful smirk twitching at the corner of her lips.

_Oops_. To other eyes, it would seem that they were locked in an intimate embrace, with Killian hugging her from behind as his arms were snaked around her shoulders and his chest was pressed against her back. It wasn't his intention, but he had only noticed it after she had gulped when he whispered in her ear and didn't bother to move away. He couldn't help it - he loved knowing he had some sort of effect on her and was happy to seize any opportunity that would prove so.

"Sorry, love," he apologized with a cheeky grin, lifting his arms up in surrender and stepping back. But they both knew he was anything but.

She opened one eye to glare at him before scoffing and smiling softly. Then she closed her eyes and concentrated once again.

Emma finally opened her eyes after a while and peered down at the compass in her hands. Undoubtedly, there it was - the arrow was now pointing straight ahead of her, completely still. "I did it!" she gasped, grinning at Killian triumphantly.

Killian grinned proudly back at her. "I had no doubts, lass. I always knew you would."

* * *

An hour later, they were trekking through the Dark Forest cautiously, though they can feel the air slowly getting warmer, letting them know that they were nearing its boundaries. The gradual change in temperature matched that of their hopes - they were definitely getting closer to the entrance to Wonderland, and the warm feeling in the air confirmed that.

The only person who didn't seem to share the relief, it seemed, was the Princess, as her dark mood was back again. She stomped far ahead of them, avoiding any conversation that each man had tried to initiate in an attempt to de-stress her. Even Smee, who Emma often had a soft spot for, couldn't make her laugh with his clumsy antics.

Killian decided to give her space as evidently, his usual charms were not working this time. Whatever was on the Princess' mind, he'll leave it be, though he hoped she'd give up the attitude sooner than later as the lack of communication was getting to his nerves.

He heard footsteps approaching him and saw Eric walking beside him with a sheepish smile on his face. "Still grumpy?" He nodded towards Emma who was, undoubtedly, still sulking ahead of them.

"She's impossible," he muttered back.

"Why don't you try talking to her again?" Eric suggested.

Killian let out a snort. "And lose my reproductive organs? No thanks, mate, I'd like to have children some day."

The prince ignored Killian's sarcasm and simply shrugged. "She seems to trust you more than us - even more than Graham - so of all people, you'd be the one she'd listen to," he said matter-of-factly. "You guys seem to have some sort of… _connection._ Plus you're the only one who seems to make her really laugh."

Killian arched an eyebrow at him. "Smee makes her laugh, too," he pointed out.

"No." Eric looked at him seriously before adding, "I mean, _really_ laugh. The way she smiles around you is different, it's-"

Killian let out a long, exasperated sigh, not wanting Eric to continue his analysis of Emma. He wasn't keen on continuing this uncomfortable conversation if it was going to eventually lead him to admit his growing feelings for the Princess - he wasn't sure if he was ready to yet, as said princess always became excruciatingly difficult with him whenever he attempted to show his emotions to her. And if anything, he didn't want to make a big deal out of it at the moment - Emma didn't seem to think much of their intimate moments as he often did, so he might as well follow her lead.

"Lovely as this conversation is, but can we please stop talking about Emma?" he snapped, quickening his pace.

"What's this about Emma?" Graham jogged to the other side of Killian, with Smee close by the huntsman's side. "Captain Jones having more love problems?" he said with a suggestive grin.

"There are no love problems here, _huntsman,_ now stop-"

"If there's something I'm an expert in, it's in women who are like Emma," Graham interrupted, ignoring Killian's deathly glare. "See, me and Red were just like you and Emma - we hated each other's living guts at first but in the end, I married the hell out of her." He grinned proudly at Killian, who simply scoffed.

"And your point is…?" Killian said, now walking ahead of them; though he had a feeling he knew where this conversation was heading.

"Go talk to Emma. I know she'll listen to you-"

"I tried that, did I not? And clearly the Princess was not willing to oblige herself in conversation," Killian said through gritted teeth, clearly irritated now.

Graham gave Killian a serious look. "Okay, you know what? I'm sick and tired of seeing you and Emma grouching around like this, so go talk to her and sort whatever the hell is wrong with her before I go insane," he said in a dangerous voice.

Killian opened his mouth to retort but was interrupted by Smee. "You should go, Captain sir, good sir. Mister Huntsman here is right: the Miss Princess Emma will listen to you," he said, nodding seriously. "I think she _likes_ you," he added in a whisper.

_Now the huntsman's got my right-hand man on his side?_ He thought in disbelief as he looked at Smee's nodding head. Killian stopped walking to face them and saw that Eric was nodding in agreement along with them. He looked at them exasperatedly but saw that he was outnumbered.

He glared at them one last time before quickly making his way to the Princess._ I suppose it wouldn't hurt if I tried again_, he thought. He'll just cover his man-parts if she tried to kill him.

"Hello, love," he said in the best cheerful voice he could muster as he caught up with her. Emma ignored him and continued looking ahead of them, hand still clutching the compass.

"I see someone's not in a good mood," Killian observed casually. However Emma continued with her silent treatment, causing Killian to let out a sigh and move closer to her. "Listen, Emma-"

"It's Regina," Emma suddenly admitted quietly. Her sudden openness took Killian by so much surprise that he found that he couldn't speak back. "It's just… I have a bad feeling." Emma continued. She held up the compass for Killian to see. "Look at this - you see that?" He squinted his eyes to see what she was showing him: there, on the back of the compass, was a scratch that looked like the letter 'R'. He looked back at her and arched an eyebrow._ So this is what was bothering you?_

Emma sighed and dropped her arm back to her side. "Look, I know it sounds silly, but I just don't… I don't like this feeling I'm having and we're about to go to her kingdom and the fact that her first initial is on this damn compass-" she let out a long frustrated breath and looked away. Clearly expressing her worries was something she wasn't used to. "Crap, this is so hard to explain. It's just a sense of _foreboding,_ you know?" She looked at him at last, and he offered her a kind smile.

"Don't worry, love, I'm sure it's just a coincidence," he reassured her. Although he thought badly of his lame attempt to comfort her, she seemed to be satisfied with those words as her face visibly relaxed. But then suddenly, the earlier tension was back in a flash as she stopped walking and froze in her spot.

"Did you hear that?" she whispered in a low voice, looking around her carefully. Killian glanced around him, seeing and hearing nothing. But Emma continued to peer around her warily, as if waiting for something to pounce at her. "Someone was following us," she observed in a dark tone as she looked around her.

"There! You see that?!" she pointed at a tree nearby where, undoubtedly, Killian saw a glimpse of a shadow jump into.

"Stay here," he instructed, walking towards the tree cautiously. As he moved forward, he heard the sound of shuffling - Emma was right, there was something, or someone, was following them, and he could now see a hint of body move as he got closer to the tree.

The next few moments was a blur - when Killian heard another shuffle, he quickened his movements and changed the angle of his path so that he could see who was hiding behind the tree. But before he could pounce on them, the figure quickly moved away and dashed out from behind the tree, running away from Killian. He let out a yell as he sprinted after the mysterious person, with Emma also shouting and running behind him. It was a blessing that Killian was a fast runner as he managed to gain on the person. With all his might, Killian took a gigantic leap and tackled the person down, restraining him with a firm grip.

"_Who are you and why are you following us_?!" Killian demanded, struggling to keep the person still so he could get a good look at their face.

But he found that he didn't have to force the person into remaining still as they suddenly stopped moving at their own will. Killian widened his eyes in horror as he realized who the person was, and opened his mouth to yell at the others to stay away, but the person had already moved their hand. In one swift motion, the person took Killian's shock to their advantage and yanked their wrist out of his grip, subsequently releasing a powdery mist from their hands and into the air. Killian tried to tackle them down again, but whatever the person threw was preventing him from moving efficiently, and he felt himself gradually become drowsier and drowsier…

_"Emma…"_ was the last thing he whispered weakly before his eyes closed shut and his head hit the ground.

* * *

**A/N:** ...and an ambush the end! Ooooh, who do you think is the mysterious person? :)


	24. Chapter 24

_Where am I?_

Emma woke up to eyelids heavy with drowsiness. She tried to force her eyes to open but failed miserably, as she ended up looking through slits as eyes instead. Trying to focus her now-blurry vision, she made a motion with her head, but felt a searing pain in her head instead. Instinctively, she tried to lift her hand to massage the pain away, but she realized - something was preventing her from moving her hand.

Using up all of her strength, Emma's eyes flew open and she blinked repeatedly, trying to see what was wrong with her hand. Trying to move her arms, she found that someone else was with her, and that their back was leaning against theirs.

_Someone tied us up when we got knocked out_, Emma realized in a panic. In fact, she could now feel the rope that bound her wrists together, its friction burning her skin as she struggled to move.

_Is it Graham?_ Or Eric? Or Smee? She wondered as she felt a warm hand near hers. She couldn't tell at the state she was in - her mind was too foggy at the moment. Although what she did remember was running towards Killian with the other three, and seeing the Captain freeze as he pinned down the person that had followed them. Then the next thing she knew, a cloud of white powdery mist surrounded them, and she found herself falling asleep and hitting the ground head first as soon as she inhaled the substance in her lungs.

Emma continued in her struggle to release herself from the bindings, but froze mid-action when she felt the body behind her stir.

"Waking up everyone else now, I see?"

Emma whipped her head to see where the voice had come from, but was met instead with a throbbing pain to her head. _Shit,_ Emma cursed inwardly as she scrunched up her face in pain.

"_Tut tut tut_, I wouldn't do that if I were you," the voice spoke again. Emma slowly lifted her head up to see who was their kidnapper.

She would have either gasped or screamed in outrage, but instead Emma choked on her breath at the sight of him. It was the madman who stabbed Killian in the bar earlier, she realized in horror as she recognized his tattered black top-hat and crooked smile.

"Happy to see me again, pretty lady?" the man said with a leering smile, bending down to speak to her. "I see your friend there survived my good ol' knife. Oh look, he's waking up too!" He nodded his head to his right, where Killian was slumped against a boulder, his hands tied behind his back as well. He began to move as Emma stared at him in horror. "What a shame I couldn't pay my debt to the other fellow who so kindly smashed my head with his fist, though," the man added with a disdainful look on his face.

Despite the throbbing in her head, Emma managed to shoot him her most venomous glare. But the man seemed to find this amusing as he only leaned in further, his face slowly moving closer to hers. "Aww, don't look so angry, blondie," he cooed as he leaned in closer to her face. Soon his cheek was touching hers, and she could feel his hot breath against her skin as he spoke. But she didn't dare to move as she was currently at a disadvantage due to the bindings on her hands, and she was well-aware of how dangerous this madman could be.

"You wanna know why I'm here, right?" he whispered, nuzzling his face close to her neck. He closed his eyes and breathed in her scent, the touch sending a shiver of fear down Emma's spine. It was nowhere near sensual - every second his skin touched hers, she felt more disgusted with herself for not being able to give him a good punch in the throat. She closed her eyes shut and prayed that he would move away soon, because she felt sick to her stomach.

"You have something I'm interested in having for myself, you see," he continued in his quiet voice, his lips grazing on a spot close to her ear. "Something that will get me to Won-"

_"Emma!"_

Emma's eyes flew open at the sound of his voice and her eyes darted to where Killian was tied up. He was now fully awake, fury written all over his expression as he glared at the madman.

"_Don't you fucking touch her_," Killian hissed vehemently.

To Emma's relief, the man pulled away from her to give Killian a mock-fearful expression. "And what, you'll _struggle_ in your binds at me? Pity you didn't die when I stabbed you," he taunted, chuckling as Killian growled and tried to lunge towards him. He looked back at Emma and gave her a wicked smile. "I'm not done with _her_ just yet…"

"Get away from her!"

Emma could have smiled in relief at the sound of Graham's voice if it wasn't for the creepy look the man was giving her - she hadn't realized that Graham was already awake. She felt him move against her in frustration, his hands rubbing against the rope that bound them together. _"Don't,"_ Emma warned in a hushed voice. "Not yet."

Luckily, the madman didn't hear Emma's warning as other voices began to speak. Emma felt tension leave her body as she heard Eric and Smee's sleepy voices behind her. "Wh-what's happening…"

"Well look here! Everyone's all awake now!" the man laughed, clapping his hands together in glee as he looked around all of them. "Perfect - now I can speak to all of you at once!"

Emma opened her mouth to curse at him, but stopped when she felt a sharp object press against her arm. "Red," Graham muttered as an explanation, and Emma immediately understood; a memory surfacing in the back of her mind - the bracelet Ruby gave him had an enchanted charm on it. However she needed to distract the man standing in front of them before she could do anything.

"Who the hell do you think you are?!" she managed to growl out, glaring at him in disgust.

"Emma, don't talk to him!" Killian shouted at her. But the man was now looking down at Emma, a sly smile spread across his face.

"My bad - where are my manners?" he said with a grin. Then he tipped his hat and gave a polite bow to Emma. "The name's Jefferson, though where I'm from, they like to call me the Mad Hatter."

"Why do they call you the Mad Hatter?" she asked him, feigning curiosity as she slowly moved her hand towards her body, allowing Graham space to weave his hand with the bracelet towards the rope.

Jefferson grimaced at the question and pointed at his neck, where a faint scar lined across his skin. "Ever heard the phrase, '_Off with his head_'?" Emma shook her head, an sickening feeling settling in her stomach as she glanced at the scar. "Well you see," he continued. "I make hats. And not just any kind of hat - magical ones that can transport you to any realm or world you desire. They're like portals, with the same ingredients as beans. Very rare, very rare, indeed… And because of its rarity, my creations were coveted by none other than the Queen of Hearts herself-"

"Who? Regina?" Emma interrupted at the mention of one of her many monikers.

Jefferson snorted. "No, her mother: Cora. She wanted me to make one for her and so I did, but for some reason the hat's magic wouldn't work on her. So as my punishment, she ordered for someone to behead me and even made me wear the dysfunctional hat on my head while the deed was done. Funny gal, isn't she?" He let out a mirthless laugh as he touched the scar on his neck. "But you see, the executioner didn't complete the deed properly, and lucky me he didn't as for some reason, Cora immediately requested for my head to be sewn back on properly so I can have a second chance at making a hat for her."

Emma paused for a moment to look at the scar in disgust. It was, undoubtedly, a scar that looked like it had the faint traces of stiches on it, as the purple tracks crossing perpendicularly to the pink line across his neck showed. But Emma didn't have time to stare - she could still feel Graham working his bracelet through the rope. She needed to distract the madman a little more. But before she could speak, Killian spoke up instead.

"If you're capable of such magic, why are you following us then?" he demanded angrily.

A dark look briefly passed by Jefferson's features before he answered. "Long story short, something wrong happened and she ended up throwing me in the second hat I made for her, and I ended up here. I've been looking for the hidden entrance back to my home ever since." He gave a hard look to Killian. "I _need_ to get back to Wonderland, you see, and as I've overheard from your conversation in the pub, you-" he gestured to the others around them. "-have a compass that can help me do so. And I want it _now."_

"Well you're not getting it," Emma declared, causing Jefferson to whip his head towards her. She felt Graham's nudge as she spoke -_ it's time._

He laughed at her defiance. "And what makes you think that, pretty lady?"

"Because," she answered with a smirk. "You'll have to get it from my dead body."

Before he could lean in to leer at her, Emma quickly kicked him with her free feet, sending a jolt of pain across his shins. He swore loudly and bent down to rub the area she had kicked him. _Lucky us that he didn't have enough bind for our legs_, she thought gratefully as she wriggled out of the cut ropes and jumped up, helping to pull Graham to his feet as he did.

"Oh no, you're not going anywhere!" Jefferson shouted as he bent over and reach for her.

She dodged his arms and looked at Graham. "Quick, untie the others!" she ordered as she dodged the Mad Hatter once again.

They played a game of martial arts as Emma defended herself from his advances, quickly glancing around her surroundings from time to time for a weapon she could knock him out cold with. An idea formed in her head as she caught a glimpse of rock near her. Breathing heavily, she looked back at Jefferson - she just needed to distract him a little….

"Emma, move!"

But before she could, Jefferson used the temporary distraction to pounce on Emma, causing her to stumble and knock both of them to the ground. They rolled around the dirt in a power struggle, grunting and breathing heavily, until Jefferson pinned her to the ground roughly, trapping her wrists against his hold.

"You forgot to ask me one more thing," he laughed loudly, a malicious glint forming in his eye as he looked at her. "They call me the _Mad_ Hatter for a reason." He pushed her neck down roughly when she lifted her head up to retort, his grip tightening to choke her as he leaned in to whisper.

"Because I'm fucking insane."

* * *

As soon as the Mad Hatter touched her throat, Killian saw red.

No one hurts his Princess.

"Graham, _hurry up with these bloody ropes_," he snarled, not taking his eyes off Emma.

"I'm-trying-my-best-" he grunted back, face reddening as he hastened his movements.

As soon as he felt the bindings loosen from his wrists, Killian flew from the ground and dashed towards Jefferson, who was now reaching for his pocket, his other hand gripping both of Emma's wrists together.

"Oy!"

Killian swung a good kick across Jefferson's face as he turned around, causing the latter to fall down. As he did, a small brown packet fell from his pocket. Assuming it was the object Jefferson was planning to use on Emma, Killian picked it up and shoved it in his own pocket before bending down to check on Emma. He smoothed her blonde hair back from her forehead and traced at the red marks on her neck that Jefferson's grip caused.

"You okay, love?" he asked her worriedly. She nodded and groaned as she attempted to sit up. He gently helped her stand up. "I'm going to kill him," Killian promised through gritted teeth as he looked down on the unconscious man beside him.

"Wait," Emma said suddenly, looking down at Jefferson curiously. "What's that?" She pointed at a leather strap wrapped around Jefferson's wrist. It was worn out and peeling almost everywhere, letting them know that it was old and worn often. As well, it seemed that its size was tampered with as two different colored leathers were tied together, extending the length of the leather bracelet. If Killian was correct in his calculations, the original black strap, which was visibly longer, seemed to be of a length that could only fit a child. He squinted his eyes to see the name on the bracelet that Emma was pointing at.

_Grace._

"Tie him up," Emma instructed, her eyes furrowing in deep thought as she looked at the name. "He might be useful to us if he lives in Wonderland. We'll question him when he wakes up."

Though he deeply disapproved, Killian nodded and began to drag Jefferson's limp body by the foot.

"As you wish."

* * *

When Jefferson woke up, they were already standing in a semi-circle in front of him, all weapons pointing towards his body in case he tried to escape. He groaned as he struggled to open his eyes, straining to see what had happened to him. When it seemed that his vision was finally clear, Jefferson widened his eyes as he looked at the ropes that bound his entire body and legs to the large tree behind him. To their surprise, when he finally lifted his head to look at them, the surprised expression was wiped off his face and was replaced with amusement.

"Well well well," he said, clucking his tongue. "There's a saying for this, no? Oh yes - _how the tables have turned_."

Emma leaned towards him and grabbed his chin to turn his face towards her. "Listen here, you crazy asshole: I'm the one who's going to do the talking here, you understand? You'll only open your mouth when I ask you to. _Savvy?"_

Jefferson snorted. "What are you, a pirate?" he sneered at her. Killian growled and kicked the man's thigh, eliciting a loud groan from him.

"So what if she's a pirate? She's a damn good one," he said, nudging his sword towards Jefferson's face. "Answer her, you bastard."

"Christ, you two come in a package? Jesus…" he mumbled, wincing at the pain forming in his leg. He opened one eye and peered at Emma. "Fine, I'll abide by your rules, since I obviously have no choice but to anyway."

"Good." Emma bent down to meet him eye-level and reached for her pocket, pulling out the small, brown pouch that Killian had pocketed from Jefferson earlier. "Look what we got here: your precious powder that you so kindly knocked us out with earlier. What the hell is this crap, anyway?" she mused, dangling the small bag in front of her eyes with a curious expression.

Jefferson eyed his belonging with frustration and clenched his jaw as if trying to hold back from yelling at her. But when his eyes looked up at hers, she was met with an amused expression. "Stealing from me now, eh? After all _that-ow!"_ he glared at Killian, who gave a generous poke on the shoulder with his sword. "Fine _fine,_ I'll tell you! Geez, _Christ…"_ He looked at Emma seriously. "It's _Slumberdust,_ a sleeping powder from a rare flower back home that took me forever to find, but I guess that doesn't matter much now since you have it."

Emma furrowed her eyebrows. "Back home… From Wonderland?"

He rolled his eyes in annoyance at her prodding. _"Yes,_ they're called Sleeping Flowers. Great, magically unique flowers - not so much of a unique name, though."

She looked at him thoughtfully, the wheels in her head turning. "_Magically unique_… So there are other useful magical… unique plant thingies there?"

Jefferson looked at her as if she was crazy herself. "Well _obviously._ Wonderland is probably home to the most magic in all the world - except for maybe Neverland, actually, now that I think of it. But there are plants, objects, creatures - all with magic that you've never even dreamed of that are present there. Like Manglepower and the Medusa head, for example-" He paused abruptly at the look on Emma's face when he mentioned Medusa and looked at her suspiciously. "Why are you asking me these things?" he demanded. "What do you want from me?"

Emma shook the wide-eye expression off her face and ignored his question. "I can tell you've been following us for a while. For how long?"

"Since I caught those Merry Men prancing around the boundaries of the Dark Forest," he replied slowly, looking at her with suspicion still present in his eyes.

_Truth._ But she needed to know something that was bugging her since Killian knocked him out. "Why, though? Why go through all of this effort-" she gestured at the rope tied around him "-to steal a compass, when you could've just asked to come along with us?"

Jefferson stared at her for a moment, conflict flickering past his face as he struggled to figure out an answer. True, it could have been more peaceful that way. "I-I don't know," he finally answered. _Truth._ The honesty was written in his defeated expression, as Emma saw clearly. Then she made her decision.

"I don't trust you, Mad Hatter," she stated bluntly. "You almost killed my friend here-" she nodded towards Killian, who glared at Jefferson at the mention of the incident. "-and I don't do well with people who hurt those I care about."

Jefferson let out a long, irritated sigh. "What's your point, blondie? If you're here to kill me and get rid of me, do it now and stop with these dramatics already."

"What I'm trying to say is, I decided that I'm gonna take a huge risk here." She stood up, and continued to look down at him, a smirk forming on her face. "I'm gonna let you come with us."

_"What?!"_

Everyone stared at Emma in disbelief, gaping at her unbelievable rashness. "Have you gone mad too?!" Killian yelled in outrage.

She ignored everyone's protests and continued to look at Jefferson, who was looking at her with a straight expression. "Why?" he asked suspiciously.

"I noticed something, something that you were probably well aware of. You could have killed us as soon as you knocked us out, stole that compass from me, and get away with it. There's a reason you didn't, wasn't there? You haven't gotten _completely_ mad, haven't you, Mad Hatter?"

Jefferson stared at her for a moment, unblinking, then with a small movement of his chin, he undoubtedly gave a tiny nod.

Killian spluttered at the small smile Emma gave Jefferson. "He _stabbed_ me, remember?!" he pointed out in indignation.

"True," she agreed, eyeing the madman intently. "But I guess… that's why you're called the Mad Hatter. You're 'fucking insane', as you called yourself, but in the end there's still some human left in you. In the end, you're still Jefferson to the core."

Jefferson looked at her intently, then lifted his chin. "What if I become the Mad Hatter again? What if I change my mind and kill you all and steal the compass?" he challenged her.

Emma scoffed then gave him a sly smile before glancing at his leather bracelet. "No you won't. Because Grace wouldn't be proud of that, now wouldn't she?"

He widened his eyes in outrage at the mention of the name. "How did you-"

"I'm just like you, Jefferson - lonely, full of mistrust, a person who prefers to work alone because you've _always _been alone, am I correct?" she interjected. "That's why you decided to just steal the compass from us instead of coming along with us peacefully." He closed his mouth shut, staring at her with a strange expression in his eyes as she continued to speak. She sighed. "We're alike, though it kills me to admit it. We were both ripped from our loved ones and ache to get back. I can help you do that, Jefferson, only if you help us. We can work together - you help us get through Wonderland safely with all your magical knowledge and we'll help you get to your daughter."

He eyed her warily. "And what if I don't want to help you?"

Emma laughed. "Oh you will. Otherwise… Let's just say I'll make the stabbing you gave my friend over here look like a massage."

Jefferson swallowed at her threat and then sighed, clearly defeated. "All right, I'll take that deal," he finally gave in. "On one condition, however: don't tie me up anymore. It's no fun being treated like a prisoner, you know."

Emma simply laughed loudly at his request. "Have you forgotten everything I've told you? We're alike - so don't think I'll give you my trust so easily." She gave a soft smile before turning her back towards him.

"You'll have to earn it."

* * *

**A/N: **I won't be updating tomorrow (school's starting again) but I will post a new chapter on **Wednesday, January 8th. **

This will give me time to finish the ending of this fic & start my new one (whose details I will give out soon).

Thank you again for all your reviews & support 3

NEXT CHAPTER: Big CS development. The group + a tied Jefferson finally go through the Hidden Entrance.


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: **Sorry for the delay as I had work + school, & I had finished the final chapter of this fic! :) I'll soon post details on the new AU/CS fic I'll be working on (probably 1-2 chapters from now).

Thank you all for your reviews! Enjoy some Captain Swan here...

* * *

"I still don't trust him," Killian states for the millionth time, glancing behind him with a disapproving look on his face.

"Never said we had to," Emma responds automatically, not bothering to look at him as she stares at the compass in her palms.

They had been walking for what seemed like an hour now, after making sure that Jefferson's hands were tied properly in front of him. Everyone had reached to an agreement that Graham and Eric will be the ones to keep the Mad Hatter in check while Smee stayed close behind them, scouring the back for any potential dangers. Of course Jefferson had no say in this agreement - every time he opened his mouth to protest, he was met with a glare from Killian, who would have been more than happy to murder the bloke.

"Besides," Emma continued, eyes still on the compass. "For the hundredth time, Jefferson can be useful to us once we reach Wonderland."

Killian glanced at Emma as they trodded along. The Princess was deep in concentration as she examined the compass and looked far ahead of her; Killian couldn't help but momentarily admire her will to focus. But as much as he revered her, Killian still wasn't happy about bringing Jefferson along with them, so his scowl returned in no less than a second.

"Tell me again why I always listen to your bloody plans?" he grumbled, unable to retort any longer.

Emma let out a snort. "Because I'm _bloody brilliant_, remember?"

He scoffed. "I don't recall me ever saying that," he said innocently.

"Oh yes you do," she said with a small smile. The musical lilt in her voice caused Killian to glance at her again, and the smile he saw on her face made him smirk. If the Princess was in a good mood _and_ was playing along with him, then he _will_ take advantage of this rare opportunity.

"Since we're reminiscing," he leaned in towards her ear to whisper. "If I recall correctly, you just admitted in front of everyone earlier that you _care_ for me."

"I don't recall me ever saying that," she echoed his words, a hint of a smirk on her face. _Bloody hell, is she flirting with me?_ He half-expected her to either glare at him or ignore his cheekiness, anything - but not _that._ It must be his lucky day.

"Ooh yes you do, love," Killian chuckled. "Need I remind you of your own words? _'I don't do well with people who hurt those I care about_' - what say you to that, hmm?" He felt his heart jump in delight at the sight of her cheeks slowly reddening at his words. "Admit it, Emma, you care for me. Do both of us a favour and stop denying yourself the freedom of feeling."

To his surprise, she stopped walking, still looking straight ahead of her. Her eyes slowly fluttered towards his own, the pink tint still present on her cheeks, and it appeared as though she was contemplating on whether or not she should continue with what she wanted to say.

"Who says I'm denying anything anymore?" she finally said quietly, giving him a weak smile.

If this was a dream, Killian didn't want to wake up. But he knew it was impossible for it to be a dream, because _this was so much better_. The words rang through his mind, and he played them over and over again as he gaped at her, wondering how on earth he could be this lucky. Emma was not an expressive woman, that much he knew, so for her to say those words, for Killian to be able to read her very mind as she uttered them from her lips _(gods_ _those lips, if he could just grab her right now and kiss them_) - it was better than _any_ dream he had ever had of her. Because that sentence meant only one thing, one thing that Killian had been secretly longing for her to do.

She was letting him in.

Emma was finally admitting that she does feel something for him. When she said those words, what Emma was really saying was: _I'm giving you a chance. I'm giving us a chance. I'm letting you in, giving you the platform, taking risks - all of the above_. And that was good enough for him.

But he doesn't kiss her. Not yet - not when they are in this situation, still in this bloody forest where the others were close behind in full view of them. No, Killian will give Emma the kiss she _deserves,_ a proper kiss - one where it is _only_ Killian and Emma; one that she will never forget.

So when she looks into his eyes and smiles softly, Killian doesn't kiss her (no matter how much he is positively dying to) - he simply smiles back, that smile that he knows she likes to see so much. She may not know it, but that smile is specially for her, and he plans to make sure she has one of her own painted on her beautiful face for a long time…

A green light illuminating Emma's face distracts them from their moment, and they look down to see the compass now glowing bright in her palm. She looked at it with her lips slightly parted in surprise.

"I-I think we're here," she whispered as she looked up to Killian.

"The Hidden Entrance?" he asked, confused. Emma swallowed and nodded, then turned around towards the others.

"Guys, we're here!"

They jogged towards her, dragging a grumbling Jefferson with them as they went, and looked around their surroundings in confusion.

"I don't see anything…" Eric observed, furrowing his eyebrows when only trees came into their view.

"Keep on looking," Emma ordered, walking around the trees as she stared at the glowing green arrow on the compass. It should be here, she thought as she circled around a tree with a rather large, wide trunk. All the signs pointed to this tree: the arrow seemed to glow brighter whenever she neared the tree, and if she walked away, the green light would become duller, so she had concluded that the Hidden Entrance must be somewhere around this tree. She examined the giant tree, trying to see if there were any hidden marks or anything that would hint at a "hidden entrance", but she saw only thick bark. Frustrated, she kicked the tree's trunk and let out an irritated huff.

_Wait a second…_ She kicked the tree in the same spot once more and there it was again - a hollow sound.

"Guys, guys! I found it!" she yelled, kicking the tree several more times. Each time she kicked, a dent was made on the bark, letting her know that there was indeed some sort of hole in the tree.

Graham hurried to her side and started to help her, stabbing the dented bark with his dagger. Soon enough, the barrier collapsed, revealing a rather large hole big enough to fit the average man.

"So it's true," Jefferson whispered in amazement. "_The Rabbit Hole_. This is the Hidden Entrance to Wonderland!" Widening his eyes in excitement, he looked at the others. "Well what are you waiting for? Someone jump in!"

"Smee! You go first," Killian ordered, eyeing Jefferson suspiciously. He was still skeptical of the Mad Hatter and wanted to make sure this "Rabbit Hole", as he called it, was safe.

Smee gulped and nodded, then walked carefully towards the hole. He slowly put one leg into the hole and gradually lowered that leg down -

"Aaaah! Caaaaptain!"

As soon as Smee dropped his foot down, he slipped to the ground and fell into the Rabbit Hole, disappearing completely into its darkness. All that was heard was his yelling and a loud clutter shortly after, followed by a loud thump and a grunt.

"Smee? Smee! Are you okay?! Can you hear us!" Killian yelled into the hole.

"Aye, Captain, sir!" Smee's laugh echoed as he continued. "Why, it's a slide, sir!"

Killian and Emma exchanged looks of relief. "Well what do you see, mate?" Killian asked.

"Doors, Captain sir! Lots of them!"

"Doors, you hear that? Sounds safe to me. Now who wants to go next?" Killian looked at the others, who were now edging closer to the Rabbit Hole.

Smee was soon followed by Eric, then by Graham who dragged an excited Jefferson down with him. Before Emma could jump in, however, Killian held her back.

"Oh no, love, we're going together," he tutted, giving her a smirk. She gave him an exasperated look and opened her mouth to say something, but Killian wouldn't hear any of it. He jumped into the hole, pulling her along with him into the darkness, and together they slid (in a rather uncomfortable lying position, Killian thought with a groan) down the Rabbit Hole.

"What the hell, Jones?! I'm gonna kill you!" Emma shouted.

He didn't blame her. As they were to soon find out, Killian's idea to grab her and pull her down with him wasn't so clever as they tumbled down the end of the slide together, falling into a tangled heap on the ground. Emma groaned as she fell a heavy object on her chest, preventing her from breathing properly, then widened her eyes when she realized - it was the damn pirate.

Killian changed his mind - nope, this was _definitely_ a great idea as he was now lying on top of Emma facing each other, chest against chest.

"Really, love," he began with a wolfish grin. "If you wanted this all along, you could have at least asked when we were at a more private spot. _Ow_ - What was that for?!"

Emma hit the side of his head and pushed him off, ignoring his pouts as she jumped up and brushed the dirt from her body. When she did, she finally noticed the room that she and Killian and the others had fallen into.

It was mostly empty save a few lanterns and, as Smee had told them earlier, there were doors - _five of them,_ she noted.

"So you gonna use the compass or what, blondie? We haven't got all day," Jefferson said impatiently.

_Oh. Right_. Emma hurriedly grabbed the compass from her pockets and closed her eyes, thinking carefully about what was her current deepest desire. _The correct door to Wonderland, the correct door to Wonderland... _

And there it was, soon enough, a dazzling green glow from the compass, its copper arrow pointing directly at the door in front of them. Emma exchanged a look with the others and nodded, slowly walking towards the door.

When she opened it, they were greeted by a swirl of colours and a very strong wind - so strong that Graham had to pull Emma back from being swept in.

"It's a portal but the wind is too strong! We might lose each other! What do we do?!" he shouted over the whistling of the wind.

"Everyone, hold hands!" she instructed, grabbing Killian's hand with her right and Jefferson's tied hands with her left. They nodded and followed suit, with Graham holding on to Jefferson, Eric to Graham, and Smee to Eric. Then they all took a deep breath and jumped into the portal together.

Emma felt an uncomfortable sensation in her stomach as they spun inside the portal, its strong current pushing against them so violently that Emma's grip on Jefferson and Killian tightened.

"Hold on tight to each other!" Emma yelled to the others. "The current is too strong!"

But as soon as the words left her mouth, another strong wind followed. However this one was more violent than the others, as it forcibly pushed them back, causing Emma's fingers to slowly slip from Jefferson's.

He looked at his tied hands in horror, clearly having felt the slip as well. "Jefferson, hold on! Don't let go!" Emma yelled at him.

But the man only shook his head. "How can I?!" he shouted back. "One more strong wind like that and we're separated! I told you that you should have untied me!"

And just as he said it, another violent current visited them, pushing Emma away from Jefferson. Her hands slipped entirely from his from the force, but she lunged forward and grabbed the rope tying his wrists together.

"I'm not letting you go!" she promised. "We're going to be a team now, remember?! I'll help you find your daughter and you help us- No!"

She felt her stomach drop as another current pushed them back once again. She looked back at Jefferson who had the same look of horror on his face as they looked at Emma's hand. The only thing linking them together now was her index finger that was clinging on to the rope for dear life.

"Emma, I'm so sorry," he whispered sadly. "There's no way - one more wind and we're gone. I'm sorry..." He gently shook his hand, causing the finger to slip gently from his bindings.

Emma widened her eyes and looked at him, shaking her head. "No, Jefferson, don't!"

"I've never been asked to be part of a team before," he said quietly, giving her a sad smile. "I hope we see each other on the other end of this portal. Thank you, Emma, for no longer making me feel like a madman. Thank you for making me sane."

And with those words, he gently shrugged the last of her finger off his binding, releasing her from him. Emma yelled and tried to reach for him, but it was too late - Jefferson, Graham, and the others were now spinning away from her and Killian, and soon enough they were engulfed by a strong wind that was now preventing Emma from seeing them clearly.

"Jefferson!" she screamed, still trying to reach out to them helplessly. "Graham! Eric! Smee!"

Killian reached over and held her other arm with his free one. "Let it go, love, they're gone now," he said quietly.

She only shook her head desperately at his words. "But this is a portal right? We should see them on the other side! They should still be with us!"

But before he could reply, a bright light appeared from behind Killian, followed by a strong force that seemed to be pulling them towards the light.

"Emma!" he yelled, suddenly pulling her against him. "Hold on to me! If we've reached the other side, then be prepared to fall!"

She closed her eyes and nodded furiously, and slinked her arms around his waist, holding on for dear life.

And then, just as Killian said they would, they fell.

* * *

**A/N:** Yup, just had to get them alone! (finally)

NEXT CHAPTER - Completely isolated from the others, Killian and Emma land in Wonderland. And to their dismay, they are greeted by something far from pleasant...


	26. Chapter 26

They opened their eyes to the smell of moss and a sharp pain in their bodies as they struggled to move. Emma looked around her, rubbing her head and side with a groan as she lifted her head. If her body wasn't aching so much, perhaps she could appreciate her surroundings more appropriately than she did right now. Because what she saw in front of her was unlike anything she has ever seen before, and one word could only perfectly describe the scene: colour.

And indeed colour was exactly the stimuli that overwhelmed her senses. When she looked up, she saw a vast cerulean sky overlooking a field of tall vegetation. She could not see exactly what these plants looked like, as the tall grass in front of her was currently blocking most of her view, but she was able to make out the array of colours that peeked above the tall grass. Wavelengths of oranges, yellows, reds, violets, blues - every possible colour greeted her vision, and the sight was so incredible that even Emma took time to let out a gasp despite her pain.

She hears a splash behind her and she realizes for the first time since she has opened her eyes that she was in some sort of lake. After taking a moment to frown at her drenched clothing, she turns around to see who was accompanying her and to her utmost relief, she sees Killian spluttering out water not too far from her. He looks up and grins at the sight of her face.

"I suppose this is Wonderland then," he observes, looking around him in awe.

Emma nodded then glanced around anxiously. "You think the others are around here?"

Killian shook his head. "I don't know. I honestly don't think so. Wonderland is supposed to be a very large world so the portal could have dropped them anywhere," he said gravely.

But Emma was still hopeful. "Maybe they did fall near us," she insisted. She began dragging her feet through the water, calling out for them. "Jefferson! Graham!" When no one replied, she looked around frantically, the water splashing as she hastened her movements. "Eric! Smee! Jefferson!"

She stops when she feels a grip on her wrists and looks up to see Killian shaking his head, looking at her pitifully. "They're not here, love. Let it rest," he said quietly.

"No," she shook her head stubbornly. "We'll look for them - Graham still needs his heart; Eric needs his cure for his mom, and Jefferson-"

"Emma, stop moving-"

"-needs to get his daughter, and-"

"Emma-"

"-now we don't even have a reliable guide… _What do you want_?!" Emma snapped at Killian, who was now looking behind her with wide eyes.

"For love of God, Princess,_ shut up and stop moving,_" he hissed quietly, not taking his eyes off of whatever was behind Emma. The fearful, cautious look on Killian's face startled her, and so she began to turn around, wanting to see what had caused the Captain to be so disturbed-

But as soon as she moved her head, a giant, hairy black thing pounced on her, causing her to stumble back and fall into the water. Killian dove after her and pulled her up, dragging him with her as he began to run.

"Run!" he yelled.

She didn't need telling twice - whatever had attacked her was now chasing after them. She dashed through the water towards the strip of tall grass that was in front of them, but she could tell that their attacker was gaining in on them as she could hear buzzing gradually getting louder and louder...

_Holy shit_, she cursed when she realized what the buzzing sound was. _The damn thing has wings_. Although she began to quicken her movements, it didn't help at all that they were still running in water, so her legs were feeling more and more like stones as she glided through. But she ran and ran and ran anyway, as she could feel the flying thing approaching, and soon enough she was inches away from the grass. She took a leap forward, ready to hit ground, then-

"Emma, watch out!"

Killian lunged after Emma and grabbed her hand, yanking her away from the giant attacker that was now dragging her by the leg towards it. _What the hell is this thing?!_ Emma thought as she finally got a good look at it. The giant winged created appeared to be some sort of humungous fly - hairy and multi-legged, though its appendages appeared to have some kind of mechanism that allowed it to grip effectively onto Emma, forcibly dragging her away from Killian. Grunting, she tried to kick it away with her free leg, but was met instead with something sharp and thick.

_"Argh!"_ Emma let out a screech of pain as she felt a sharpness pierce through her skin. An odd sensation rushed from the fresh wound on her leg through her entire body, and as it reached her chest, she was met with a feeling of weakness. _What...is… happening to me…_ Mustering up all the strength she had left, she grabbed a hold on to Killian, who was now shouting incoherently at her, holding his hand tightly, looking at him helplessly…

Then she felt it - a sudden drowsiness overwhelming her senses; her vision becoming a blurry, spotty scene of swirls. Killian's yelling gradually dulled to a strange hum , and Emma suddenly felt like she was… _floating._ It was as though something - or someone - was carrying her. She wondered hazily why the excruciating pain in her left leg was now barely there, and for a moment she panicked, believing she was dead. Emma tried to scream, yet she couldn't bring herself to voice anything, and the sound of Killian's voice was now a distant echo, as if he was far, far away from her. And just as quick as the odd feeling hit her, she suddenly felt the familiar sensation of falling and falling and falling…

The last thing she saw before she hit the ground was blue.

* * *

_"Emma!"_

He didn't care if he lost his voice due to shouting her name, but he couldn't help it - the bloody thing was now grabbing her, practically dragging her towards it. Killian grunted as he tried to pull Emma down to the ground towards him, but although he was quite strong, the giant insect proved to be stronger, as the Princess was now slipping from his fingers.

"Emma, _no!"_

Killian widened his eyes in horror when he saw what Emma had done: blindly, the stubborn Princess had tried to kick the damn insect, but as a defence the bug had pierced her leg with one of his pointed appendages. _Bloody fucking hell…_ It was then he knew. What did the King tell him when they were discussing the dangers of Wonderland? "_Beware of the Stingers - they look like giant flies, but they're more deadly than pesky. I suppose you can guess for yourself why, due to its name_." Killian swore under his breath at the memory - death to himself if he let Emma die. He won't let that happen as long as he lived.

"Oy, you big ugly git!" he shouted to the Stinger in hopes to distract it. The idea worked, as the Stinger had moved its giant in his direction, its large silver eyes focused on him.

He used this moment to his advantage and pulled Emma to the ground with all of his might. Realizing what Killian had done, the Stinger let out a loud screech and started to swoop towards the ground where Killian and a rather disoriented Emma lay. Swiftly, Killian unsheathed his sword and pointed it out from his body.

The Stinger let out a piercing screech that almost shattered Killian's eardrums, but he had managed to stab one of the Stinger's gigantic silver eyes when it flew purposefully towards him.

"Aargh-just-die-already-you-bloody-"

He twisted his sword deeper, proving to be an effective move as it elicited yet another deafening cry from the insect. With one last shove, he yanked the sword out and went for the other eye, bracing himself as another wail reached his ears. Then he pulled the sword out, watching the giant attacker writher weakly in front of him.

A groan from his right caught his attention and Killian rushed towards Emma's side, cupping her blonde head carefully with his hand as he spoke to her.

"Emma, Emma, love, can you hear me? Can you see me?" He shook her gently, his eyes roaming around her face as he frantically searched for any sign of consciousness.

Killian almost cried out in relief when Emma mumbled something incoherent in response then groaned again, her eyes rolling backwards as she did._ I need to get her somewhere safe,_ he thought in panic as he noted her slowly paling colour. He carefully picked her up and carried her into the forest of tall grass, looking for a safe haven.

* * *

Shortly after, Killian finds a large cave-like ditch under one of many gigantic trees. It appeared to be safe as they were now far from where they had met the Stinger, and the tall grass had now cleared into a boundary between a meadow and the edge of a group of very large trees. He walks over to the tree with the cave-like ditch and lowers himself and the Princess to the ground, gently laying her against one of the large, thick roots of the tree.

When she doesn't groan, Killian panics briefly, but then he notices when he glances at her chest that she is still breathing. Perhaps she has gotten unconscious for a while, he decides, and he supposes this is a good thing as he was about to do something that the Princess will definitely not approve of if she were awake.

Killian swallows when he looks at the wound on Emma's leg - the Stinger's appendage had cut through her riding pants and into her thigh, and he could make out parts of her horrendous wound through the ripped fabric. But this would not fare well for Killian. _No,_ she was bleeding profusely and he needed to clean it and stop it for a while before the loss of blood gets worse, and the fact that her riding pants were preventing him from doing so would not work well for him.

He reaches over and begins to pull on her pants, his hands shaking as he does so. _Why in the bloody hell am I so nervous_? he thinks to himself incredulously. And indeed, why so? Killian had undressed women before, so the deed was no stranger. But he knew he was only making excuses - when it comes to Emma, all rules and habits meet their exception, and the exception is her.

So he musters up his courage, silently giving a private prayer that she would not murder him when she wakes up, and begins to pull down her pants.

* * *

A dim light greets her when she opens her eyes into little slits and for a moment Emma believes that this is death. After all, there were sayings that tell one "Don't follow the light" when close to dying, weren't there? But the belief was soon extinguished by the feeling of a faint throbbing in her leg.

Though still feeling very groggy, she tries to remember what had happened before she fell unconscious. She recalls a falling out from the portal and into a lake, then being attacked by some sort of giant fly. She winces - the thing had practically sliced through her leg, releasing all the blood from her damn body...

Emma opened her eyes completely and tried move her head to look at her leg. How has it been since it cut her? It couldn't have been that long; she had to stop the bleeding before she-

"I highly advise you not to move so suddenly, Princess, or the pain will worsen."

She jerks her head abruptly in the direction of his voice, eliciting a groan from her when she feels a sharp pain at the crook of her neck. But she doesn't dwell on Killian's correct prediction - she was both surprised and relieved that he was alive and safe. Focusing her vision, she opens her mouth to answer him, most likely to tell him off lightly for telling her what to do, but instead she finds her mouth frozen in its position when she finally looks at him.

There, sitting inches away from her, was a shirtless Killian Jones.

Emma does not gape often, but when she does, it's for a good reason. But this… _this…_

_What. The. Hell._

At first, the gaping was one of shock _(mostly_ shock, she insists to herself) because she couldn't really gather a reason as to why he would be lacking clothing right now, but soon enough Emma began to notice other things in regards to his body - things that she had been curious about and wondered about before, though she'd never admit it - she'd rather keep her thoughts about Killian private to herself.

"Enjoying the view, love? Or would you rather-"

"What the hell is going on?" she cuts him off, trying to wipe off the smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

He let out an irritated sigh. "You've gone slightly unconscious and were shivering like mad, so I lent you my clothing. You wouldn't stop until I've stripped my upper body bare so rest assured, Princess, my shirtless body is not one of my own leisure," he explained.

Emma's shoulders sagged with relief at the mention of the dead insect. "So it's gone for sure?" she asked quickly. She hoped never to see that damn thing again.

"Aye, and so will that nasty wound that it gave you, though it seems to be taking quite some time," he said as he glanced at her legs.

She followed his gaze and saw covering her lower body Killian's lent clothing, but what caught her eye was that her own pants were sprawled on her leg as an additional blanket, which can only mean-

"_What the hell_?!" Emma yelled as she bent over and threw the articles of clothing off of her legs. She widened her eyes in horror when she saw, lo and behold, her completely bare legs.

"Okay look, lass - I can explain -" Killian began, turning his head away from her as she scrambled for her pants to put on.

_God,_ was she lucky her shirt was long enough to cover her underwear. "Yes, please do explain _why the hell I'm half naked_?!" she growled at him. She tried to ignore the fact her cheeks were slowly burning in color, but the fact that Killian was now shifting near her, still very much shirtless, wasn't helping.

"Well, you see-" he began, but Emma couldn't take it anymore.

"Dammit, Jones, will you just put on a shirt?!" she said in exasperation, throwing at him the first black article of clothing she could find.

He caught the shirt and smirked at her. "Do my chiseled features bother you? But if you insist, milady," he said as he slipped his arms through the sleeves. Emma glared at him. "Now as I was _saying,"_ he continued. "Your wound was a bloody mess from that Stinger's attack, so I had to stop the bleeding somehow. Plus I had to apply the antidote to prevent the poison-"

"Whoa, whoa slow down," Emma interrupted him with a hand. "Stinger? Poison? You _knew_ what that thing was?"

He nodded. "Aye, but not at first. Your father warned me of them: their attack sends a poison through your body, rendering you paralyzed and unconscious, but with the correct antidote, you'll live." He gestured towards her leg. "Luckily I found the plant he advised me about, but since your trousers were in the way, I couldn't clean up your wound properly. So getting rid of them was inevitable. But as you can see, it ended up being a good idea as your wound is clearing up."

A silence fell after his explanation, as Emma didn't make any comment. He was right - the pain from the wound had diminished into a faint throbbing, letting her know that it was healing. But she was still unhappy with her "no pants" situation, so she continued to glare at him.

"What?" Killian let out an exasperated sigh. "My gods, Princess, after I've saved your life - _again,_ I must add - _this_ is the gratitude I get?"

"Really? Taking off my clothes while I'm unconscious is saving my life?" She knew she was being unreasonable and impossibly unfair, but the fact that he had actually taken off her pants and seen her half-naked in just her damn underwear - _God,_ the embarrassment just keeps on worsening after repeating the image in her mind.

He looked at her in disbelief. "Seriously, is that what you're making out of this? It was for your bloody wound! Gods, Emma, if I were to bed you, I would not do it here for starters, and I would most definitely want you conscious for the entire thing!"

If her cheeks were not already red, they were burning with the colour now. She spluttered for a moment at his words and the sudden use of her name before shaking her head. "Okay, okay! I'm sorry; it's just been a hell of a day and I feel like I'm going nuts…" She tried to ignore it when Killian's expression shifted from exasperation to pity. "_Thank you_," she finally said. Then she tried to give him her best sincere smile. "Thank you for saving my life - again."

He shifted uncomfortably and waved his hand. "Anytime," he muttered, looking away. Emma had to bite back from letting out a laugh - was the Captain being shy?

But she didn't wish to linger in this conversation longer. She looked away towards the sky, from where the moon shone brightly. "Where are we, anyway?" she asked when she noticed the giant roots and little cave-like ditch they were in.

"No idea," he replied with a shrug. "But at least we're at away from that lake we fell in. If your leg is better by morning, we can leave and move for the Medusa head. It shouldn't take that long as there are only two of us, but if need be we can find shelter at a cave the King told me about."

_Right, there are only two of us_, Emma thought with a frown. Though she didn't mind Killian's company (no, not at all), the fact that the others were somewhere else in Wonderland still made her unhappy. They had no guide now that Jefferson wasn't with them anymore, so they would just have to brace themselves for whatever comes their way. She hoped that the others were safe wherever they were, as from the looks of that Stinger, there are probably other equally unpleasant surprises in this world.

"You should get some rest now, lass," Killian said after Emma remained quiet.

She gave him a look of surprise. "I've had my rest - it's your turn now."

He chuckled. "I'd hardly call it 'rest'. That wound isn't going to heal itself, love. Get some sleep. I'll be fine," he added when Emma opened her mouth to protest. The finality in his tone of his voice made it seem like there was no room for argument, so Emma sighed and reached for his vest to use as a blanket (she'll wait for him to say he's cold if he wants it back, she decided), then slid her body to the ground.

Suddenly Emma felt oddly very aware of Killian's presence. She could feel his knee against her back as she lay on the cold ground, and she could hear his steady breathing in the silence. His fingers drummed lightly on his thigh, a faint sound that was slowly growing into a loud orchestra the longer she lay down awake. She shifted her body a little to move away from his knee, which helped a little, but she was still very much conscious of his presence. _Why is this goddamn ditch so small,_ she thought in irritation.

As if it could get any worse, she was beginning to feel much colder. The ground she lay on felt more and more like ice and the cool evening air didn't help either. She shivered a little when she felt a slight breeze against her cheek, an action Killian didn't miss.

"Still cold, love?" he asked.

Emma shook her head. "Keep your shirt on, Jones," she snapped. But the second time she shivered gave her away.

She could hear his deep chuckle before he spoke. "You sure? Look, if you're worried about me getting cold, then we can try something else, deal?"

_I guess it couldn't hurt._ She nodded, still shivering, and hoisted herself up with her elbow. "All right. Now turn around and move a little closer to me-"

"What- _why?"_ She narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously.

"Just do as I say, Princess," he replied in a tired tone.

She scowled but did as he asked and scooted towards him. Killian uncrossed his legs and moved to the side so that his body was now parallel to hers, and leaned against the wall of earth behind him. "Now come here," he instructed, gesturing towards his lap.

"What- _no!"_ she shook her head in disbelief at his request, though she was mostly trying to hide the fact that another blush was about to visit her cheeks. She knew that she had basically told him that she was going to give him (or rather, _them)_ a chance earlier, but _this_ - it was way too early for any of _this._

"Fine, then freeze to death!" he snapped, glaring at her in annoyance. Emma would have gladly accepted that challenge if it weren't for the breeze that grazed past her, slightly tousling her hair. She shivered and edged closer to him, looking at his lap reluctantly. "Now lean against me like this. My body heat should keep you warm so make sure you're lying against me." He gestured towards his shoulder.

So all he wanted was for her sleep sitting up and to lean against him, and all this time she assumed he wanted a more indecent position. She could feel the blush creeping up quicker as she followed his instructions, sitting next time and slowly leaning into his shoulder. She stiffened when she felt his arm loop around her body, and she momentarily stops breathing when she feels his hand rub up and down her arm quickly, the resulting friction against her sleeves making her feel warmer.

"There there, now that wasn't so bad," he said with a soft smile. She let herself relax when her body stopped reacting to the cold environment and she slowly closed her eyes, leaning in towards his chest. He still smelled the same as when she had kissed him - like leather and spice - but the scent was slowly fading. His breathing had become more even now (she noticed that as soon as she leaned into him, he too started having slightly laboured breaths) and she decided that maybe it wasn't so bad to be so close to him like this. He was broad and warm and she finally stopped shivering, yes, but it was also more than that. It was so comfortable, so nice, so _right_ to be close to Killian Jones like this. Everything about him - his words of comfort and faith; his continuous support for her; and just his presence, _goddamn it_ - it lifted all the worries and tension that was bothering her mind this entire journey, and she felt as though many good things may happen the moment she wakes up.

She drifted off to sleep in peaceful comfort, her last thought for the very first time in many nights not being one of revenge, but instead, of Hope.


	27. Chapter 27

"What do you mean _two portals opened into Wonderland?_!"

Regina glared at the White Rabbit in crouching in fear in front of her. Her heart pounded against her chest furiously after she heard the White Rabbit's news - _no, it couldn't be..._ She absolutely refused to believe that the Prophecy was finally coming to life at last, that whoever had broken into Wonderland will be her destruction…_ No_, she refuses to let that happen. She can find a way to stop the Saviour; she can get out of this mess… Can she?

The White Rabbit trembled as he spoke. "I-I'm sorry, your Majesty, one entrance to Wonderland might have been overlooked -"

_"Overlooked?!_ I can't afford _'overlooked'!"_ she yelled in outrage. "What is this entrance?! Find it! Seal it! Prevent others from coming!"

"I'm afraid that can't happen, your Highness. The Rabbit Hole is a very ancient and difficult portal to completely seal off-"

She almost exploded in fury. "Then_ find a way_, you pathetic little twig. And while you're at it, find whoever entered my Kingdom and bring them to me."

The White Rabbit nodded, still shaking, and scurried off without another word.

Regina let out a scream. _This cannot be happening._ She was so sure she was safe - she had hid and protected every single damn entrance that led to this stupid world, but apparently this Rabbit Hole was "overlooked". Just when she thought everything was fine.

_Is this it?_ She never really expected a happy ending for herself, but she did expect to experience some happiness in her life, regardless of whether or not she leaves this world in a good way. Sure, maybe she didn't deserve all the happiness in the universe, but after all the sacrifices she had made to get to where she is right now; after all the suffering she had to endure in the past - she deserved at least some happy moments, right?

But maybe she did have this coming. She had selfishly agreed on a deal to give up her father to obtain Dark magic, thus trapping him in a mirror; crushed her mother's heart for revenge for her husband and child's death; given up any possibility of starting a new life with Robin and Roland; and on top of that, she had the blood of other innocent victims on her hands and the unreasonable thirst for revenge against Snow White and her family - a quest that she had long forgotten about as soon as she heard about the Prophecy.

Admittedly, after a while she grew tired of playing the Evil Queen. Revenge and the constant chasing and preventing and capturing and life-ruining and running - it exhausted her. She wanted to lay back for a while, perhaps even take a stab at the life she wanted. No, she couldn't go back to Robin and Roland now - that, she accepted - but she could do something else. Her thoughts briefly went to Baelfire and the other boy that she had taken - the former was an act of vengeance, and the latter was supposed to be an act of vengeance as well, but she soon changed her mind and decided to take him instead. Regina realized the longer she spent time with the both of them that maybe she could have her happiness. She could have the children she always wanted; the sons that she had been deprived of. _A family._

Regina turned to her mirror, an idea forming in her head. "Daddy? Are you there?" she called out. She beamed at his face when it appeared in the mirror. "Get me the boy. I'd like to speak to him."

"Who, Baelfire?" her father asked.

"No, the other one," she said with a smile as she thought of the kinder boy. "Henry."

* * *

"Tell me something, love," Killian said as they hopped over a large log. "If I were to ask you something, would you be honest with me?"

Emma doesn't stop walking but she gives him a suspicious glance, unsure where he was going with this. "It depends on what you ask," she replied slowly. _Though it wouldn't really matter if I lied anyway,_ she thinks resentfully. _I'm an 'open book' after all._

Killian bit his lip to prevent himself from smirking and glanced at her before speaking. "I was wondering," he began in a casual tone. "Do you always wear such lovely undergarments during your adventures? I would imagine _lace_ is quite the fancy choice of lady underwear - especially for _you,_ Princess."

He let out a howl of laughter at the sight of her widening eyes and open mouth and quickly dodged her attempt to hit him. An expected reaction, but that wasn't what he was aiming for._ There it is_, he thought with a soft smile when Emma's cheeks turned a shade rosier. The effect he was waiting for.

He couldn't help it - after seeing how the thought of him undressing her and seeing her half-naked bothered her so much (in a good way, of course - he knew that much by how he read her expression); not to mention the smile on her beautiful, sleepy face when her eyes fluttered open to see him, and the flustered expression that took over when she realized that she had tried to embrace him while sleeping... After seeing how he affected Emma, Princess of Cool Composure and Builder of Walls... Yes, Killian was very much motivated to have another go at seeing this effect again.

Perhaps this wasn't the greatest time or place, and perhaps he was pushing his luck (he wasn't even sure if Emma would be in the same good mood towards him as she was before they went in the Rabbit Hole), but they have been walking in this bloody forest for what felt like hours. Even if they were about to encounter one of their deadliest enemies on this mission, it was still reasonable to want to steal a few good moments, wasn't it? After all, if (and only if) they fail, Killian may never get the chance to be alone like this with Emma again... Or even see her again, if worst comes to worst.

Although he was known for his dark exterior and moodiness, Killian was not much of a pessimist. Realism was what he would call his outlook and if he had to confess, he would admit that he thought more about failure than what he would do to ensure his success. Indeed failure was always a possibility. In fact, it was currently what scared him the most, but the reason for his fear was no longer the loss of the satisfaction of fulfilling his revenge. Because now... Now he was scared to fail not for his own selfish needs. He was scared to fail because of Emma.

_Emma._ If he failed, he would not only fail at getting his revenge and ultimately lose her on the way - _she_ would lose her chance at revenge too. And damn himself if he did that to her. _No,_ Killian thought. He will get that bloody Medusa's head and help Emma kill the Evil Queen. And if they fail - well at least he could die knowing he made her feel something good; something different. _Something special._

Even if it was something as small as making her smile or blush in embarrassment.

"Sorry lass, but I'm only a man!" he called out to her after running farther ahead to avoid any more of her attacks.

She rolled her eyes. "You're an asshole, Jones!" she shot back. But she didn't fool him - there was definitely no hint of anger in her voice.

"_Help! Help!" _

They tore their eyes away from each other towards the sound of the voice. It seemed to belong to a woman and judging by how loud it was, the person screaming wasn't very far.

Emma looked at Killian, who saw the words clearly written on her face. "Emma, no," he said firmly. "That is not them. It's a woman's voice so forget about it - it's too dangerous. Emma, no -_ bloody hell woman_, Emma!"

He yelled after her as she ignored his warning and ran towards the sound of the cry, shoving the compass in her pocket. _This woman will be the death of me, my gods I swear_, he thought furiously as he ran after her.

Emma knew she was being stupid but it sounded like the woman who was calling for help really needed it. Plus... _What if she wasn't the only one?_ What if Jefferson and them were also there? What if...

"Help! Please, someone!"

Stopping in her tracks, Emma whipped her head to the right from where the scream came and dashed towards it direction.

"Here! I'm here!"

The voice came from her right and Emma turned to face it. There, just behind a crowd of trees, was a small cave-like shelter with bars that were clearly meant for imprisonment. And indeed it was, as there was a prisoner in the cage, their arm outstretched in-between the spaces of the bars, as if desperately reaching out for Emma as she cried out for help.

Killian came to a halt shortly behind Emma and widened his eyes as he watched her slowly inch towards the cave prison. "What in God's name are you doing!?" he hissed at her.

"She needs help," Emma whispered back, eyeing the cage carefully.

When she finally moved close enough to the cage, she could still see the arms of the woman reaching out from behind the bars. However her face was slightly hidden in the shadows; Emma couldn't quite make out what she looked like. She walked towards the side, now in full view of the prisoner, and began to move closer.

"Hello?" the prisoner called out. "Speak! I can hear you."

Surprised, Emma paused momentarily. But couldn't she see me...? After all, Emma was standing directly in front of the cage now so the prisoner had a full view of her.

"I know you're there, though I cannot see you. Please, speak. Help me," the prisoner repeated again, grabbing the bars and pulling their face closer to them.

As the prisoner did so, Emma could see the woman surfacing from the shadows, and the shock that filled Emma when she saw the prisoner's face was betrayed by the small gasp she let out.

It was no wonder the woman's arms were outstretched so blindly and why she couldn't see Emma - there, in the cage, was a very thin woman with her eyes completely sewn shut. The sight was truly sickening: faint stains of dried blood patterned around her eyelids and lips, and her skin was a dull paleness with a tinge of grey, letting Emma know that this prisoner was left to rot with no care. And as if the sight could not get any more pitiful, the woman's orange hair was strewn all over the place, with some parts of it matted against her skull; its length scattered over the dirty sack she wore as clothing. If Emma could vomit or cry out, she would, but there was no time or place for such a reaction.

"Hey, hey don't worry," Emma said in a kind quiet voice, slowly nearing her. "We're here to help you."

Killian nodded as Emma spoke, in full agreement with the Princess as he took in the pitiful image of the prisoner. "Do you know how we can get you out of here, lass?" he asked as he peered around the cave prison.

The woman nodded and pointed at the bars. "These bars have weakened over the years," she said. "With rope and strength, you may be able to pull it down."

Emma nodded and swung her small bag from her back and looked inside. They were lucky her bag was enchanted to carry a large amount of things without expanding.

"No rope," she shook her at Killian. He nodded then began taking off his layers of clothing.

"We'll use shirts then. Love?" He tossed her one of his shirts and began tying one around a bar.

It turned out the prisoner was right. With much effort and grunting, they managed pull down the rusty bar frame, freeing the woman behind it.

"I cannot begin to thank you enough," the woman said gratefully after Emma guided her carefully around the fallen bars. "Please, let me repay you."

Emma smiled kindly at her and gave the woman's hands a gently squeeze. "No, there's no need. We just wanted to help you."

"But I am forever in your debt," the woman replied. "May I at least ask your names?"

"I'm Emma," she replied. She gestured towards Killian. "And this is-"

"-Killian, milady. At your service," he said with a polite bow. Emma had to take the time to raise an eyebrow at him. Really? The woman clearly could not see him.

She turned back to the prisoner, whose mouth was slightly gaping open in Killian's direction. "And how about you?" Emma asked.

"Euryale," the woman replied, still facing Killian with the awed expression on her face. Then she slowly turned to face Emma with a smile. "And I have been expecting you, _Emma."_

But before Emma could ask, a loud screech from above interrupted them. Euryale turned her head towards the sky and raised her eyebrows in fear. "Quick!" she said to Emma and Killian. "We must flee! Those are the Jabberwockies. They are looking for you!" She grabbed Emma's arm and pointed in fronted them. "There is a cave nearby here. Let us run straight and we shall find it. Quick!"

Though she wanted to protest and ask what the hell a Jabberwocky was and why they would be looking for them, another loud screech was heard above them. Emma looked up and saw a giant black bird (or at least, that was what it looked like) swooping down towards them. No more questions asked - she immediately nodded and made a run for it, careful to hold Euryale's arm to guide her as they did.

Just as Euryale predicted, they reached a small cave whose entrance was covered with a curtain of vines. They ran towards it, careful not to run too fast as the cave's entrance was facing towards the edge of the cliff it was close to.

"Watch out!" Killian shouted as the Jabberwocky swooped down past them and floated at the edge of the cliff.

When it did so, Emma got a good look at their attacker: the Jabberwocky appeared to be a large, black dragon-like creature with wings of the like, but not nearly as big. However it was not the creature that caught her attention - it was what was riding on it. There facing them was a Black Guard - an image no different from what she remembered seeing as a child from Geppetto's shops, though it was now pointing its bow and arrow towards them.

Instinctively, Emma shoved Euryale towards the entrance of the cave but to her horror, the woman pushed Emma back, causing Emma to fall to the ground. As soon as she did so, the Black Guard's arrow left its bow and pierced through Euryale's stomach.

"No!" Emma crawled towards Euryale and began dragging her towards the entrance of the cave, shielding her from the Black Guard's view.

Killian widened his eyes in horror when he saw what had happened and immediately unsheathed his sword. _"Argh!"_ He let out a yell as he threw the sword with both hands towards the Black Guard's chest, effectively hitting its target and causing the guard to slip off the Jabberwocky. Seeing what had happened to its master, the Jabberwocky let out a final screech and fled, leaving the Black Guard wriggling on the ground. Killian glanced back at Emma, who had now pulled Euryale into the cave, before walking towards the Black Guard.

Though fully masked, the guard looked up at Killian, wheezing as he struggled to move his arm. Killian scoffed and pulled the sword out of his chest roughly, ignoring the gasp it elicited from the guard.

"Who are you? Why are you looking for us?" Killian demanded, pointing his bloody sword at the guard's covered neck.

"Evil Queen... Portals... Must capture... Invaders..." the Black Guard wheezed back, gasping for air as he did.

"What? What do you mean? _Speak!"_ Killian nudged the guard with his sword but it was no use - he had stopped struggling and was finally dead.

Killian let out a frustrated huff and dragged the dead body towards a tree where it would be concealed. Then he walked inside the cave where Emma had started a small fire and was now on the ground tending to Euryale's arrow wound.

"Why are the Black Guards coming after us?" Emma asked Euryale quietly when the bleeding finally subsided.

"The Evil Queen knew about us coming through the portals," Killian spoke up, striding towards them. "I don't believe she knows it is us specifically, by the wording of the man, but only that there are invaders in Wonderland."

Emma looked back at Euryale, who had moved her head slowly in Emma's direction.

"Princess Emma..." she said in a weak voice. Emma startled at the mention of her formal title, but decided against asking Euryale how she knew of her true identity.

"Yes?" She replied warily as she moved close to the woman's side.

"Hold my hand. You have unexplained magic, Princess Emma - magic that may been noticed at dangerous moments in your life, but otherwise unexplained. I will now give you my repayment for releasing me from that prison. So please, hold my hand, Princess Emma, and when you do, concentrate on what you love the most."

Emma nodded, putting aside her bewilderment at the revelation for a moment, and did as she asked. She let out a gasp when she saw the palm of Euryale's hand - there was an eyeball with a thin strip of skin covering it, sticking out from within her skin.

Euryale sensed Emma's thoughts and let out a soft chuckle. "Explanations will be given after. Please hold my hand, Princess Emma, and think of Henry when you do."

At the sound of his name, Emma felt a squeeze in her chest and quickly grabbed Euryale's hand as if her life depended on it. She closed her eyes, willing to stop the emotions stirring within her at the thought of Henry, but for some strange reason, the sound of his name repeated in her mind like a mantra, refusing to leave it. Then, slowly and surely, she felt a warmth coming from within her body.

The warmth spread from her centre to the tips of her extremities, and she could feel it leaving her fingertips and towards Euryale's palms._ Is this the magic she was talking about...?_ She wondered hazily as she recalled Euryale's earlier words. She opened her eyes to see what she had done, but to her shock Euryale had gone completely stiff, her mouth slightly parted and her sewn eyelids facing the ceiling as she remained lying on her back.

The harsh, deep voice that escaped Euryale's lips made Emma's hand tremble in fear, but for some reason she still did not let go.

_"Princess Emma of the White Kingdom: daughter of Snow White and Charming; product of True Love and therefore wielder of Great Magic. The possessor of a Destiny feared most by the Evil Queen herself, and celebrated by all her enemies alike, you seek to fulfill a Quest that promises an outcome far beyond your desire for Revenge. Fear not, for your brother has not died in vain - his death is not what it appears to be. Fear not, and believe that your Destiny is not one of Vengeance, but one of Salvation."_

Emma almost let go in surprise when Euryale paused and gasped for air, before becoming stiff once again.

_"Killian Jones, most feared Captain of a ship whose history and Destiny that so closely intertwines with yours… Born from the Locker; son of the feared Davy Jones and the great Calypso, Princess of the Seven Seas, and therefore descendent of the King of all Seas. You, who seeks a blind quest for Revenge upon a story whose details you are not aware of. Open thy eyes and know that your target is one step closer than you are led to believe. Fear not, and believe that it is not the end: your success is only the beginning."_

Euryale let out another gasp when she finished speaking, removing her hand from Emma's and clutching at her chest. Breathing heavily, she moved her head to face that of Emma's and Killian's, who were staring at her in silence, words unable to escape their mouths due to their astonishment.

When Euryale spoke, her voice was no longer as harsh as when she recited their history and identities, but back to her soft, melodic tone. "My name is Euryale, sister of the creature you seek to behead," she began to explain. "Medusa and I are two of the ancient Three Gorgon sisters, all of whom were gifted with enchanted Eyes: Medusa, the gift of the Stare which turns any being who gives eye contact into stone; Stheno, the gift of the ability to read the Hearts of men; and I, the gift of Foresight. I am a Seer, Princess Emma and Captain Killian, and for that reason I have foreseen your futures due to its close association to that of the Evil Queen's.

Indeed, I am aware of your Quest; that you seek my sister head to defeat the Evil Queen. But your path is not what it appears to be. When I told the Evil Queen of a Prophecy about her, she sought to find ways to thwart it, but due to the growing fear in her dark heart, she decided to kill both of my sisters and imprison me, sewing my eyes shut in fear of having the same gift as my younger sister, Medusa.

What she did not know, before she murdered my sisters, was that I foresaw her blood-lust and your arrival, so I warned my sisters. They accepted their Fate, yes, but they both agreed that the Prophecy must be fulfilled and had given me something that will help you in your Quest."

Euryale gasped in pain again and reached out for Emma, grabbing her hand tightly. "I do not have much time, Princess Emma, for I am dying." She let go of Emma's hand and opened her palm for her to see, revealing the eye that was forcibly placed into it. Although it was concealed by a thin film of skin, Emma had a feeling she knew what it was. "_The Eye of Medusa._ Take it, dear Saviour, and fulfill your Destiny. Defeat the Evil Queen once and for all, and save your people."

_"No!"_ Emma yelled out when Euryale's hand fell weakly to her side. "No... Please, you can't leave! You can't just die, not when- "

"The pain of losing my sisters was enough to kill me, but I only lived this long to ensure that you succeed in fulfilling your Destiny. Take it, Saviour, and make sure that the Gorgon sisters have not died in vain."

And with that, Euryale breathed her last, the Eye of Medusa staring at them behind the film of skin.

* * *

NEXT CHAPTER - MWHAHAHA, man oh man oh man... You'll just have to read for yourself ;) ;)


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N:** My wonderful, _wonderful_ readers, I give you...** Captain Swan.**

:) :) :) :) :) :)

* * *

Emma and Killian have had many revelations in their lives, but none had left them as bewildered as this. They were left absolutely speechless. For a long while, they stayed frozen in their spots, unmoving as her words echoed repeatedly in their heads.

Killian finally broke the silence and cleared his throat. "I-I think she deserves a proper burial," he said, unable to conceal the slight shakiness in his voice. Emma nodded and glanced at the Seer's palm. Sensing her hesitance, Killian bent down and took out his dagger and a piece of cloth. "I'll do it," he whispered quietly. She nodded again and turned away, unable to watch as Killian slowly gouged out the Eye.

* * *

The burial was short and simple but it was proper. It may have been strange, considering they had only known Euryale for a few minutes or so, but the woman had lived such a pitiful life and died a valiant death, leaving behind the most valuable token she could offer them. If anything, Emma and Killian believed the woman died a hero, and it was only necessary that she was sent off to the after-life in the most honorable way. _It's the right thing to do_, Snow would tell Emma. It was the right thing to do.

Silence became their company for the next two hours or so and they wordlessly came to the conclusion that they would stay at the cave for the night before making the final journey to Regina's castle. After all, thanks to Euryale's heroics, they were now one day ahead of their plans. It was fortunate that they had the ability to understand each other without speaking, as they both knew who had to do what: Emma scoured the forest for food while Killian looked for firewood. They both had a lot of things to think about after the strange events and Euryale's shocking monologue, and it was silently agreed upon that both persons will not speak about their own parts of the revelation unless they freely chose to.

After gathering some firewood, Killian was surprised to see that Emma was not sitting inside the cave as he expected her to. In fact, she was sitting on a rock near the edge of the cliff that lay beside the entrance of the cave, hands clasped together in front of her. However he knew her well enough to know that she was not enjoying the scenery that lay before her - she was clearly in deep thought, judging by the way she stared at the ground, and he had a feeling her mind was on Euryale's words.

Without a word, Killian sat down beside her and faced the landscape before them, letting his own mind take over. They sit like that - comfortable, familiar silence - and for a second he allows himself a moment of selfishness to thank Fate for making Emma, of all the people who had come with him on this deathly quest, to fall out of the portal with him. There was nobody else he would have rather been alone with.

"What do you think she meant, salvation?" Emma suddenly asked, breaking the silence between them for the first time in two hours. Killian looks at her face, which is still looking at the ground, and understands that she asks this rhetorically.

"She called me a _'saviour',"_ she continued quietly. "What the hell is that supposed to mean? And Rumpelstiltskin… Even he mentioned something about me having an urge to 'save' something and Regina being afraid of something that has to do with me." She huffed out a breath in frustration and looked up at the darkening sky.

"And what's all this bullshit about magic?! I don't know anything about it! She can't just do that - she can't just give us false hope then just _leave-"_

"You do have magic," Killian said quietly. Emma stopped fuming and looked at him. He nodded at her leg. "Your wound - the plant I used to stop the poison was not supposed to heal it that quickly. Your father said it should take at least three days, but you somehow healed - _completely._ In just one night."

The look on her face was still doubtful so he continued. "Graham's memories, love. When you touched him, he got them all back."

Her eyes furrowed for a moment, as if considering this, then she touched the blue pendant on her chest. "Yeah… But that wasn't me. Maybe it was this." She pointed at the pendant. "August's father told me it has some sort of magic that protects whoever wears it, so maybe it does other things too."

Killian smiled and shook his head. "You weren't wearing it when we went to the Lion Heart Pub, love," he said.

"What do you mean?"

He hesitated before explaining, unsure if he should mention that particular moment. "If you recall, I was stabbed. And well… When you touched the side of my wound while I was sleeping… When you _kissed_ me, Emma, I could feel the pain going away. It was like a warmth spreading from your lips to the rest of my body. And while it may be due to _something else_ I was feeling at the moment, when I woke up the wound had completely vanished. Barely even a scar. So yes, I do believe you have magic."

She looked him with a shocked, awed expression, and looked away, clearly processing this in her mind. Silence passed between them again as he let her contemplate his words for a moment.

"So you're royalty, too, huh?" Emma finally said.

Startled, he looked at her and relaxed when he saw a soft smile playing at the corner of her lips. It was the first time she had smiled since they met Euryale. "Aye, I suppose. I… I didn't know anything about my parents except what Liam had told me, let alone the knowledge that my ancestor was the legendary King of the Seas," he admitted. He let out a soft chuckle. "Though I gather that it answers your question about the origins of my ship. Honestly, I had thought that it belonged to the Phrygia Kingdom as it was apparently my father's when he used to work for the Navy, but I suppose it is rightfully mine now."

Emma smiled again and nodded. "And what about the part about your revenge? She said it's '_one step closer than you are led to believe_' - what do you think that means?"

He pauses and doesn't answer for a while, letting the question sink in. Indeed, he had thought about that declaration over and over again, but he eventually decided that it wasn't necessary to let it bother him.

But what did stay glued to his mind was one particular thing Euryale had said: '_Your success is only the beginning.'_

It rang through his mind endlessly, and yet he couldn't quite pinpoint what was it exactly that bothered him about it. _What does that mean...?_

"I suppose it's a good thing," Killian finally answered, his thoughts returning to her original question. "One less destination for me."

"You think we're still going to be alive after this whole thing?"

And there it was - the worry that creased Emma's forehead; the doubt that lingered in her mind throughout their entire expedition. But Killian didn't answer her - no, he had no words of comfort; none that wouldn't give her false hope. And that was what he was afraid of. She was right in her anxiety - after all, Euryale had only said they would succeed in their goal, but she did not promise that they would live.

So instead of lying, Killian remains silent and looks at the horizon, enjoying what may be his last sunset with the Princess. And what a glorious sight to behold indeed - the orange and red hues swirled perfectly against the yellow light of the setting sun, contrasting pleasantly with the colorful landscape that it was now hiding behind. He let out a breath that he didn't realize he'd been holding, and looked back at Emma, who was still looking at him, waiting for an answer.

"Emma, my love, look."

At first, she stared at him, surprised at the use of the word _'my'_ before his affectionate reference to her, but Killian will explain that later. He smiled and reached for her face, gently turning her head towards the landscape. And when she did, the same awed expression slowly spread across her face as she took in the scenery presented before her. A soft gasp escaped her mouth as a smile began to form on her lips, and she turned to look at him.

_It's beautiful_, was what she wanted to say, but the words hung loose in her mouth when she saw the look on his face. Evidently, he had stopped enjoying the scenery and had decided to look at her reaction instead, but his expression was far from amusement. It was different. It was soft yet intense - a look she had seen on Killian's face before, but only once when he tried to speak to her the night after he was stabbed. And when she roamed her eyes towards his own blue ones, her heart stopped at what she saw in them.

_That look_ - she has seen before in only two other people she knows. _That special look_: the look her own parents give to each other whenever they communicate.

"No, _you_ are, my love," he whispered as he leaned closer to her, replying to the unspoken words she meant to say.

And then, without another word, he kissed her.

* * *

If it were earlier in their interaction, Killian would say he didn't know what made him lean in, but there was no point in denying anymore - he did know. _Gods,_ did he know. Just a few days ago he was hell-bent on his revenge; refusing to let anyone get in his way. He lived an aimless life with his revenge being the only goal in his life, and he never really cared about what would happen if he died or lived after he succeeded.

_'Your success is only the beginning.'_

But _gods_ did he care now. He looks at the beautiful woman in front of him - his insufferable Princess,_ his Emma_ - and suddenly he realizes why.

He has fallen for her.

He has fallen for her and could not offer the words she wanted to hear, but only what she needed. So Killian let himself get lost in the greenness of her eyes; let go of all reason, and took his only chance and leaned in.

When his lips touched hers, he knew that nothing else could feel as right as this. And when he didn't feel her hesitation - when he felt her respond willingly - he swore he could die right then and there even without fulfilling his revenge. And he would die happy.

He deepens the kiss, fully knowing well that this may possibly be the last and first kiss he could give her, and drops one hand from her hair and slides it down to her side. She was fully kissing him back now, a feat extremely impressive of the well-guarded Princess. But with Emma, Killian was insatiable. There was nothing she could do that would make him tire of her, so he gently pulls her body up to stand with him.

The sun was almost completely set now, so Killian decided that they can continue this in a more lit area. He pulled back with a sigh and looked at her confused and slightly disappointed face with amusement, then in one swift motion, he carried her in his arms. _Bridal-style, _he thought with a smirk - just like the way he carried her when she was drunk on his ship.

This time she initiates the kiss and reaches towards his face, stroking her thumb in circular motions on his scruff as he carries her towards the cave. _My gods, this is so right,_ he thinks when he feels her soft, warm lips move in perfect sync with his. For a second, their moment was interrupted when Killian trips over a rock in the cave, making them both tumble over. Emma laughs, the sound of it ringing against the walls, and Killian looked at her in awe - he would very much like to hear that again. Forever, if she would let him after this bloody quest was over. Grinning like a schoolboy, he leans towards her when she finally catches his eye, and their lips meet once again.

This time she wrapped her arms around him, in a way that may have appeared as enthusiastic to other eyes, but Killian knew better. When she tangles her fingers through his dark hair, the touch is passionate yet desperate; longing; memorizing. He can read her even without looking at her, and with her touch she tells him: _come closer, but not too close. I have felt so much pain, and I am scared._

_"Killian..."_ she breathes against his lips, and he whispers her name back, afraid of what may happen if he let his emotions come undone.

He won't let that happen, however. He will gladly respect her unspoken wishes. He gently pushes her on the ground as he kisses her but hovers respectfully over her, knowing fully well that this may possibly be the last time he will be this close to her. Tomorrow they would enter Regina's castle with the clear possibility of death hanging in the air. But the fear quickly dissipates from his mind as Emma wraps her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her body. He responds back with just as much enthusiasm, only pulling back to plant a gentle kiss on her forehead.

_'Your success is only the beginning.'_

What does that mean? He thinks as kisses her left cheek.

_'Your success is only the beginning.'_

He kisses her right cheek. Will he succeed? And if he does, what then?

_'Your success is only the beginning.'_

He kisses her nose. What was his beginning?

He pauses and pulls back to look at her, as if searching for the answer in her eyes. She smiles, and _gods_ did all the pieces finally fit together, and he leans in.

Before, he wouldn't have minded if he died right after fulfilling his revenge; he wouldn't have cared if he succeeded. Because before there was nothing else to truly strive for - no one else left in this damned world to love.

_'Your success is only the beginning.'_

He looks at her and leans in, finally knowing the answer to that riddle. It was what he secretly knew all along, ever since he decided against sending her back to her Kingdom; ever since he was magnetized to her when he first had a glimpse of her hooded self. He was just too much of a coward to admit it.

He kisses her lips, the taste of her fulfilling.

Yes, he knew the answer now.

_'Your success is only the beginning.'_

Emma was his chance at a new beginning.

* * *

**A/N: **:) :) :) :)

The next three chapters are the grande finale of this fic, and the 32nd will be the Epilogue. :)


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N: **Sorry for the delay in updating (lots of things going) but here you go :) Also I'm so happy with all of your kind reviews! Glad you enjoyed CS. But don't worry, the fun isn't over _yet_...

* * *

_Glorious_ - that was what he would call it. The feeling of her warm body willingly against his as he embraced her to sleep; the beautiful sight he woke up to when he opened his eyes to see her still wrapped in his arms - he felt incredibly and indescribably _glorious._

Indeed, Killian had many a woman in his arms in his short life, but with Emma it was different. He didn't even need to undress her physically to feel the way she revealed herself the way she did. Kisses and whispers were enough for now; it was all they could offer at the moment.

Although he briefly cursed himself for falling asleep so easily (but really, who could blame him?) and not waking up to take watch, the panic quickly dissipated when he breathed in her familiar scent. Nothing could dampen his elated mood now; no one could take away the memory of her lips sealed promisingly against his. But alas he had to put aside his happiness for a moment and focus on their goal: killing the Evil Queen.

They had spent the day travelling to the castle and had managed to find the underground sewage system leading to its interior. It was a ghastly passage, mostly due to its horrific stench and the scattered carcasses of rats (and, as Killian swore, there were definitely human skulls), but they managed to find the entrance that King David had advised about. Killian looked up warily at the barred entrance in the ceiling. So this must be it, he thought. On the other side would be the inside of her castle, and who knew what dangers lay within there.

He looked back at Emma, who was also eyeing the barrier cautiously. "Ready, love?"

She gave him a smirk. "Always."

* * *

Was she afraid? Yes and no - the two personas constantly battled within Emma, each shouting words of their own. The broken Princess who had experienced nothing but grief and loss struggled with the fears and doubts she so often faced. But the determined, well-guarded woman inside of her insisted she had nothing to fear - after all, isn't Fate on her side? Doesn't she have a Quest to finish and a Destiny to fulfill?

She looked beside her and smiled - now here is someone who answered that. Someone who has never had doubt in her. His faith in her has never wavered yet, and while Emma knew it was partly due to his growing emotions for her, she also knew it was because he saw something in her that she had been looking for all along: _Hope._

He helped her break down her walls and find Hope - something she had almost let slip through her grasp all these years. That was why she kissed him the night he was stabbed; the reason why she gave him a chance and kissed him back willingly last night. With Killian, she had Hope and Faith, and with that she could finally find the strength to create her own new beginning.

So with this thought, Emma broke the barred entrance and climbed through the hole with Killian, holding on to her hope and his faith as she grunted her way into the castle.

There was nobody else she would rather do that with.

* * *

"What is this place?" Killian wondered out loud as he brushed the dirt off his pants and sealed the hole they had risen from.

They had climbed into the floor of a dark, damp chamber that was dimly lit by only a couple of torches. At first, it seemed to be fairly silent, but as Emma walked further down the narrow hall, she heard it: the faint sound of soft, rhythmic beating. And not only one - _multiples_ of them.

She looked around in horror at the sight of the many small boxes stacked in perfect rows against the walls surrounding them. No, not multiples - _hundreds. _

"I-I think," she began in a shaky voice. "I think we're in her Hall of Hearts."

Killian twisted his face in disgust at the revelation. "You suppose the huntsman's heart is in here?" he asked.

She swallowed and nodded. "Maybe." Was it still here? She hoped that Graham and the others had already reached here and gotten it somehow, but a dreadful feeling in her gut told her they most likely did not. _And if they didn't_... Emma looked down at the compass in her hand - if she finds his heart, maybe she can find out whether or not he's still alive...

She held the Desiderium tightly in her hand and shut her eyes closed, concentrating. She followed the green arrow that resulted and looked behind her, breath caught in her throat as she looked at the box directly eye-level with her._ I could hear it_, she thought in amazement as she moved closer. Her own heart thumped against her chest as the rhythmic beating in the box grew louder with each step. She lifted her hand to touch it, slightly shaking as her palms hovered in front of it. _Dammit, Emma, just open the damn thing_, she ordered herself. Then, as if following her thoughts, the box flew out of the wall and towards her face, causing her to stumble backwards. It had caused quite the ruckus, however, as she let out a yelp as she tried to juggle the box and the compass in her arms, her dagger clattering against the floor as she fell down. Swearing under her breath, she shoved the compass in her pocket and reached for Killian's hand, who had rushed to help her.

"Who's there?"

Emma and Killian snapped their heads towards the voice and quickly reacted. He cautiously unsheathed his sword as Emma shoved the box in her enchanted bag. They tiptoed against the wall towards the end of the chamber, where a large door-less entrance greeted them, to see who had spoken.

"Who are you?!" the voice demanded again, though this time more loudly. "Don't try to hide - I know you're there! I can see your shadow in the light."

Cursing herself, Emma let out a breath of frustration. "And why should we show ourselves to you?" she managed to shout back.

_"Wait_ - you're not a Guard aren't you? Please, don't leave! Don't hurt us - we're the Evil Queen's prisoners!"

She exchanged a look with Killian, who nodded. Whoever was speaking would have already tried to kill them if they were on Regina's side. Killian put his sword back and stepped out of the chamber, walking into a larger, darker room. It appeared to be some sort of dungeon, as wooden doors with large barred windows were in each wall.

"Over here!"

They turned to their left to see a young man in his late teens behind one of the prisons, clutching a bar with one hand as he gestured them over.

"Please, you have got to help us get out of here," the young man pleaded. "Regina has been holding us captive for ages!"

Killian peered at the wooden door closely. "We'll try our best, lad." He bent down to inspect the door while Emma examined the young man's face closely. _He looks familiar_…

"Hey kid," she said suddenly. She pulled out a paper from her pocket and held it out for him to see. "Is this you by any chance?"

The young man took the paper, staring at it with astonishment, and nodded. "Y-yeah. That's me. I'm Baelfire. Where did you get this from?"

Emma smiled. "Your father - Rumpelstiltskin. We kind of, uh, made a deal with him to get you back home if he gives us a compass."

Baelfire shook his head and smiled sadly. "Yep, that sounds like my father..." Then he looked back at Emma with a curious expression. "What do you need a compass for?"

_"Did,_ lad," Killian corrected as he examined the keyhole. "We wanted to find the Evil Queen's castle so we can kill her, and here we are. Hope you don't mind if we do - though I'm certain you'd be quite all right with that." Baelfire looked back and forth between Emma and Killian, his mouth slightly gaped open in surprise at the explanation.

"Then that means one of you is the Sav-"

"Emma, love, will you help you with this?" Killian interrupted, handing Emma his sword. Then he looked back at Baelfire apologetically. "Sorry, lad, what were you going to say?"

Unfortunately they were not going to find out what Baelfire had to say as his attention had immediately snapped towards Emma at the sound of her name. "Emma?" he echoed, looking at her with a strange expression. "As in _Princess_ Emma… of the White Kingdom?"

She arched an eyebrow at him and crossed her arms. "How do you know me, kid?"

His eyes widened in recognition at her reply, then his face broke out into a grin. "Wait - just wait here." He instructed, disappearing from the barred window. Killian and Emma exchanged a look as they heard a shuffle and a groan, followed by Baelfire's whispering voice. "Wake up, wake up - she's here. _Emma's_ here," they could hear him whispering.

The sound of footsteps approaching the door made Emma stiffen instinctively - after all, apparently these mysterious people knew her - but when the person finally came into clear view at the barred window, Emma felt her body collapse instantly.

No… No. _No._ _It couldn't be,_ she thought in panic as the person's eyes met hers, their familiar wide smile breaking out across their face.

"Emma?"

* * *

Breathing failed her and subsequently, words did as well. She could swear that the moment he said her name and held his hazel gaze against hers, her heart swelled and swallowed her whole. Because it was impossible - utterly, completely, absolutely _impossible_ - that _he_ could be here.

"H-Henry?" she managed to choke out. But she was still glued to her spot, keeping a safe distance from the door; unbelieving of what was in front of her.

He was dead, wasn't he? She saw his murder in front of his eyes - his own heart being crushed by Regina's bare hands. No, _no,_ this couldn't be Henry, her Henry - her _brother._ No… It was too good to be true.

Her hands shook when he nodded his head. "Yeah, Ems. It's me. I knew you'd come! I knew you'd find me!" he beamed at her.

At the sight of his familiar innocent smile, Emma felt the doubt in her shatter almost completely. The young man in front of her looked exactly like her Henry - just a more mature, grown version. Damn it - it was as if someone just stretched the boy she knew 10 years ago to create the person who was looking at her right now.

She trembled as she slowly walked towards him. "B-but… How?"

"She lied to you, Emma," Henry said with a sad smile. "That wasn't my heart she crushed - it was someone else's. She wanted to kill me, Emma, she really did, but for some reason she changed her mind and decided to torture you another way: by pretending to murder me."

Emma took this in for a moment, completely bewildered. "But why?" she demanded angrily. "Why do that? Why take you away from me?"

He shrugged. "Revenge. Hatred. But I honestly believe she was just using me to fill some void in her life - she lost a son and she wants that back."

She could feel the anger rising from within her at the injustice of it all, but one look at Henry's face made it vanish immediately. This is what was important right now. He was here - Henry was really here, and _he was alive._

'_His death is not what it appears to be...'_

Unable to resist it any longer, she finally closed the distance between them. "Is-is it really you, kid?" she whispered as she touched his cheek gently.

A tear fell from his eye as he smiled and nodded. "Yeah, sis. It's really me."

Emma choked out a laugh and wiped off the tear that had fallen from his eye, not caring about the tears that fell from her own. Then, as naturally as it had been ten years ago, they laughed. Together. The reason for revenge almost melted away completely as the sound of his laughter filled her senses. _He is here. Her brother is alive._

Suddenly, Henry's laughter faded away, a grim expression replacing it. "But there's something you need to know," he said darkly. "She's planning something - a curse. One that will destroy the Enchanted Forest and Wonderland, and bring _everyone_ to a different world - one that's more terrible than any other world we've ever known. She's going to take away all our memories, all our happiness, _everything…_ You have to stop her, Emma! She's doing it tonight!"

She looked at his pleading face in disbelief. "But why? And why me? I-I only came here to avenge you, Henry! I only came here to kill her for you!"

To both Killian and Emma's surprise, he smiled. "I finally know now, sis. Don't you see? Why Regina stopped trying to kill you and Mom? Why she's been making all these crazy search parties and barriers to protect herself? There's a Prophecy about a survivor; a Saviour coming from a royal bloodline of heroes that's going to destroy her once and for all, and now that you're here - _it all makes sense_! You come from a royal bloodline, from a family that survived every attempt she made to kill you all! Sis, don't you get it?! _You're_ the Saviour! You're the only one who can stop her!"

Emma shook her head disbelievingly, body trembling as she took a step back. "W-what…? No, that can't be true. Why me? Why not Killian?! He's also here to kill her too!"

Killian opened his mouth to add something (and from the looks of it, Henry seemed alarmed at his presence, as if noticing him for the first time) but the sudden sound of heels clacking stopped him. "Someone's coming," he said as he gave a dark look at the stairwell.

"It's her!" Baelfire hissed. "Quick, go back to the Hall of Hearts and hide yourselves! She's most likely here to see Henry."

"B-but Henry-!" Emma insisted, but Killian quickly pulled her back by the arm towards the Hall of Hearts.

"I'm sorry, love, but don't you worry. I know he will be fine," Killian whispered as they settled behind a giant column. "Just have faith."

* * *

Regina appeared shortly after, a sinister smile on her face as she approached Baelfire and Henry's cell.

"Hello darlings," she greeted them. "And how are my little princes doing?"

Her smile immediately vanished when they didn't reply and simply glared at her from behind the bars.

"Silent treatment, is that now?" she snarled at them. Her wicked smile made its reappearance as she leaned in towards them. "That's not I've been hearing earlier," she hissed in a low voice.

A fearful expression flickered across their faces, but were quickly replaced by defiance as they stood up straighter, refusing to satisfy her. Regina growled at their response but clearly did not miss their alarmed expression. She looked away from them and around the room, as if searching it.

"Where are your little visitors?" she called out loudly. "I know you're there! Show yourselves!" When no one replied, Regina snapped her head back at the two young men in the prison. "_Tell me where they are_," she snarled at them.

Keeping their defiant posture, they stood straight and still and remained silent. "Fine, if that's how you want to play it," Regina said. She flashed them a twisted smiled and lifted her hand to cast a spell -

_"No!"_ Henry suddenly cried out. "I-I was talking to Baelfire. We were talking about… The curse! Yeah, we were wondering how life is going to be like in this new world it's going to send us to." He flashed her a forced smile, though it shortly proved to be unconvincing.

Regina let out a mirthless laugh. "Don't you know, my dear Henry?" she said in a low, dangerous voice. "It's not polite to lie to your mother."

With a twist of her hand, Emma and Killian felt a strong hold wrapping around their throats, forcing the air out of their throats. They choked and gasped for air, falling out of their hiding place and towards the ground where they wriggled helplessly.

Now in full view of Regina, they struggled to move away from her as she slowly walked towards them, a menacing look on her face. With another flick of her hand, Emma felt the force release itself from their throats, allowing them to breath. They gasped for air, breathing heavily as Regina spoke.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" she said with a mocking smile on her face. "More thieves come to steal from my heart collection?"

Emma steadied her breathing and lifted her head, pushing her hair out of her face. "No," she said as she glared at her. "We've come to carve out yours."

Before Regina could open her mouth to retort, Emma got up from the ground and lunged towards her, brandishing her dagger at Regina's face as she did. However before Emma even touched Regina, the Evil Queen disappeared from thin air and reappeared three feet behind her. Emma spun around and widened her eyes as Regina stretched out an arm, reaching for her chest -

"Oh no, you don't!"

Widening her eyes in fury, Regina turned around as Killian flung himself at her, ready to slice her body in half with his sword. But just as with Emma, she disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke and reappeared by the stairwell. They quickly started to run towards her again, but she waved her hand, subsequently freezing them mid-action. Smirking, she made her way towards them.

"Did you really think you could outsmart _me,_ the Evil Queen?" she laughed as she circled around her two captives. Emma cursed inwardly when Regina leaned in towards Killian, a leering smile on her face. "Who do you both think you are?" Regina said in a low voice.

"-the Saviour!" Henry called out, but he was quickly muffled by Baelfire, who shot him a glare at his impulsiveness.

But his words proved effective as Regina's smile quickly fell from her face. Replaced on it was fear as she darted her eyes between Emma and Killian.

"Saviour?" she repeated, the fear evident in her tone as the word fell from her mouth. Then she straightened her posture, unwilling to let it waver her, and snapped her head towards Killian, moving dangerously closer to him. "Well, we won't have any of that, don't you think so, _Saviour?"_

Emma stared at them, horror filling her insides as she realized - _Regina thinks Killian is the Saviour._

_No!_

She tried to scream; tried to move herself to stop her, but Regina had already plunged her hands into Killian's chest. _No, no, no_… Emma had to do something - there was no way in hell she was going to stand here completely frozen as she helplessly watched Regina crush Killian's heart. No, she won't go through that again. She refuses to relive having her loved one's heart get crushed right in front of her eyes. Even if Henry was alive, the pain that she felt when she believed the heart crushed was his was unbearable. _No..._ Not this time. She won't let Regina ruin her life again and take away her happiness - not again, not when Emma was just finally, finally beginning to learn how to love again.

Regina pulled his heart out of his body and held it in the air, grinning triumphantly as she looked at it. Emma felt her own heart drop as she saw Regina slowly strengthen her grip around the heart, eliciting a pained expression from Killian's frozen face. No, no she had to stop her; she had to find a way.

But how can she stop her when Regina had put her under a spell, deeming her completely immobile? Emma felt a her determination plummet - there was no way; she was going to stand here and watch Regina win once again; watch her kill the person she loves….

'_Your success is only the beginning_.' Isn't that what Euryale said? What she predicted? Emma really wanted to believe that; she wanted to believe that she and Killian would succeed, that they would have a chance at having their own new beginning. Killian had promised her that last night - isn't he supposed to keep all his promises?

But there was something else: '_Your Destiny is not one of Vengeance, but of Salvation_.' Emma felt that she knew it all along but refused to admit it to avoid that burden. She didn't want that "destiny": the role of the hero; the role of the Saviour. That was her parents' life, wasn't it? But Euryale had called her one, and so did Rumpelstiltskin and Henry, and Killian had been calling her one all this time through his support and unwavering faith in her. All this time when people were following her and helping her; showing any support towards her, they were showing they believed in her.

Maybe it's time she believes in herself, too.

And just as that inner admittance passed, she felt surge of warmth spread from her core, a similar feeling to what she felt when she had touched Euryale's palm. But this time it was different - it was faster and warmer, and it spread instantly throughout her body, travelling from her arms until it reached her toes and fingertips.

"Wrong Saviour, bitch."

Regina stopped her movements and looked at Emma, her mouth slowly opening in horror as she watched Emma release herself from her frozen state. B-but how…? Regina thought in shock as the blonde woman made her way towards her.

"Yes, Emma! That's my sis!" Henry cheered.

Regina froze at the sound of the name and stared at the blonde woman who was now running towards her, the realization finally dawning on her. Emma? Princess Emma? Snow White's daughter was the Saviour? God, it would be someone from that damn family.

She let out a humorless laugh as she shielded herself from Emma's flying dagger, still holding Killian's heart with one hand. "So you're the Saviour! Well, who would have know that precious Snow White's pretty little blonde princess would be the Saviour?"

Emma glared at her as she stood beside Killian, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Regina's smiled faltered. "Since when did you have magic?" she asked in a low voice when Killian was pulled out of his frozen state, now bending over and clutching at his chest.

Emma smirked. "Since you failed to separate my parents."

Regina let out a yell when Emma swung her fist across her face, the punch leaving a red mark on her cheek. She screamed in fury and put a hand out to slam Emma against wall, but to her horror, nothing happened.

She looked at her hand. _What was going on?!_

Emma took Regina's momentary distraction to her advantage and pushed Regina against the wall, trying to get Killian's heart out of her grasp. Regina tried again and put her hand out to push Emma off of her, but still - it didn't work.

_Nothing is working on her?!_ Regina thought in horror when she tried it again and again. It seemed that Emma had somehow put some sort of shield on her, preventing Regina from performing any magic on her. _Well in that case…_

Emma gasped as Regina disappeared from her hold and reappeared behind her, standing a few feet from Killian. "If I can't kill you, then why don't I kill your lover?" Regina taunted, holding the heart for Emma to see.

"No!" Emma threw her dagger at Regina's feet, effectively hitting her target. Due to her pain, the heart had slipped from Regina's fingers, and Killian dove down to catch it.

"Here, I'll do it!" Emma instructed and he quickly gave his heart to her. She held it in her hands, the strange sensation of it firing her nerves, and somehow she knew - she just knew what to do - and thus she plunged it back into his chest.

Killian let out a yell at the impact of her arm in his body and gasped when she pulled it out. She had succeeded. But the triumph can be relived later - Regina was now screaming at them and had flung what looked like a giant ball of fire towards their way. Killian rolled himself and Emma out of the way as it flew past them and towards the prison where Baelfire and Henry were.

"No, _Henry!"_ Emma yelled as the fire reached the wooden door, subsequently sending it into flames. To her relief, she heard Baelfire and Henry's shouts as they tried to escape through the burning door. Henry ran towards Emma and she reached out towards him-

"Emma!" Killian bellowed and Emma stopped mid-way to see Regina standing at her feet, blood on her hands as she pointed a finger at Emma, her whole body trembling furiously.

"Prophecy or not," Regina snarled. "I _will_ kill you, Princess Emma."

And with that, Regina leaned forward and plunged her arm through Emma's chest.

The scene that followed was a furious blur: Emma let out a scream as pain filled her entire body, the feeling of Regina's hand reaching for her heart excruciating. The entire room was now heated from the fire that Regina caused, and sweat dripped from Emma's brow towards her eye, blurring her already altered vision. But she could barely move or speak - the agony of Regina's arm in her body altered all her senses, rendering her utterly limp as her body slowly succumbed to its decided fate.

Her eyelids drooped heavily over her eyes, blurring her vision even further. She could only see shadows moving against the light now, each shouting her name. But their voices only echoed in her ears, the sounds becoming more distant as she felt herself slowly slip away from consciousness.

"Emma, no!" And Emma slightly roused - that particular voice was strangely familiar…

_Is that Graham…?_ She thought hazily. _When did he get here…?_

But she wouldn't know how he managed to find them as Emma was now feeling a heavy force pushing against her. She felt her pendant fly off her body and hit her chest, its impact strong and heavy as it touched her skin. Dizziness filled her head as she felt a strange sensation take over her stomach. Strange, Regina hadn't pushed her to the ground… But there it was again, the odd feeling, yet stronger this time, and suddenly she felt like she was falling, falling, falling…

And then everything went black.


	30. Chapter 30

_God,_ she wished this wasn't the end.

There were a lot of ways she planned for these series of events to occur – all of them involving lots of ass-kicking and preferably no deaths – but none of them involved this. God, how she wished she had just listened to Euryale and accepted the fact she had magic – maybe then she could have built herself to be better and stronger, and not lying helplessly and still and undeniably dead on the hard, cold stone floor.

It was strange, though, how one second Regina had her arm plunged through her chest, her fingers wrapped ruthlessly around her heart, and the next second she was out like a light. Now she was awake and somehow fully conscious of the ground she was lying on, which had surprised Emma. But then again what would she know about Death? There was not much past experience to base expectations on, and if this was really the after-life… Well, she'll just have to see for herself, won't she?

She finally finds the strength to open her eyes and when she does, the first thought that comes to mind when she sees the room before her is, _Man, I have really got to stop waking up in weird places_. It was an odd place indeed. It looked like the dungeon, but not quite – it was definitely much brighter, that was for sure, as the dark stone floors were replaced by a light greyish colour. As well, the walls looked like they were made of smooth, white marble stone – definitely a much more pleasant sight than the dreary darkness that she was previously in. The room was also very spacious and much larger than the dungeon, and when Emma began to look around her, she noticed that there were no doors or windows – even the stairwell beside where Baelfire and Henry's cell would have been had disappeared. It was just a white, cold, empty room, and she was the only one in it.

At first she began to panic and then became immensely sad. After all that suffering and isolation in life, she was alone in Death, too? But a shuffle behind her distracts her, and she whips her head around for the noise.

"Hello?" she calls out. But no one answers.

Disappointment begins to settle in her stomach at the realization that she may truly be all alone, but then she hears hushed voices and a shushing sound, and _– was that giggling_? She sits up straighter and darts her eyes all over the empty room, but only nothingness greeted her.

"Is there anyone there?" she tries again, but the sound of the voices quickly came to a halt, and silence filled the room once more.

Emma lets out a frustrated sigh and resigns to her fate. _Well, if they don't want to talk to me, then so be it_. She lies back on the ground, facing the white, empty ceiling above her, and wonders what the hell she's going to do here.

"Please , just let me do it-"

"No, Pink, just stay quiet-"

"_That's not my name_- oh wait, look! She's awake!"

Emma bolts up from the ground to see two elaborately dressed woman looking back at her: one was clad entirely in blue, wearing a floor-length dress that seemed to sparkle in the brightness of the room. The other was dressed similarly, although the colour she sported was a light pink, and her face beamed at the sight of Emma. The woman in blue clearly wasn't impressed by the pink woman's behaviour, as she shook her head disapprovingly when the pink woman waved jovially at Emma. "Hello Emma! How are you!"

Emma looked at her in confusion. "Do I know you…?"

The woman in blue gave the pink woman a stern look. "Pink, please," she said firmly, gently pushing Pink behind so she can take a step closer to Emma.

Pink crossed her arms and pouted. "It's _Nova,_ not Pink," she grumbled. However the woman in blue simply ignored her and gave Emma a warm smile.

"Dearest Emma, how wonderful it is to meet you at last," she said. Then she gestured to herself and Nova. "I am the Blue Fairy and this is Pink, who too is a fairy. We have been summoned to meet you."

Emma looks between the two of them, her eyebrows pinching together in thought as her eyes roam over the translucent wings behind their backs. _Fairies?_ She thinks in confusion. _What do fairies have to do with me_? But the thought disappears when she looks back at the Blue Fairy's smiling face, recalling a story that August had told her when they were younger.

"The Blue Fairy… As in the one who brought Aug-Pinocchio to life?" Emma asked.

The Blue Fairy nodded with a smile. "Indeed, it was I who brought the wooden boy to his father, giving Geppetto a chance at having a real son, by the orders of the Light."

Baffled, Emma opened her mouth to ask who the hell the "Light" is and what they were doing there, but Nova chirped up instead. "What my sister meant was that your friend Pinocchio was brought to life with the help of Good Magic, also known as Light, which has that name because there's Good Magic and Dark Magic, and obviously we work for Good Magic, so blah blah blah…" she explained with a hint of exasperation in her tone. Then she gave Emma an apologetic look, ignoring the Blue Fairy's glare. "Sorry, she likes to speak all fancy and knowledge-y and stuff."

Emma gave her a slow nod of understanding, though her attention was now on something else. "Hey… Where did you get that from?" she asked, pointing at the blue pendant that hung from Nova's neck. "That looks like something of mine."

Nova giggled knowingly as if she had been waiting for this question all along. "It is!" she said with a wide grin. "But technically, it's mine – I gave it to Geppetto's sister, who left it with him, who gave it to you, and _voila!_ Now you have it! Or well, now_ I_ have it since you summoned-"

The Blue Fairy rolled her eyes. "Pink, please stop with the jabbering. You are overwhelming the poor Princess. Let _me_ provide the explanations," she said. Then she looked back at Emma, the warm smile on her face reappearing once again. "Dearest Princess Emma-"

"_Dearest Princess Emma_- what are you, writing her a letter or something?" Nova muttered in annoyance under her breath.

The Blue Fairy shot her a sharp glare before continuing. "As I was _saying,_ Princess Emma," she said in a louder voice. "Our meeting here is no coincidence. When the Evil Queen attempted to take your heart, the magic within you coincided with the protective magic in your pendant, the strength of the combination causing you to go into shock."

Emma looked down at her body. "So am I… Am I dead?"

"Not at all," the Blue Fairy replied. "The Seer you had encountered was correct: as the product of True Love, the purest form of all Good Magic, you possess great magical powers. As Dark cannot overcome Light, the Evil Queen failed in removing your heart. Indeed, Princess Emma, you are alive, and very much so."

"Then where am I?" Emma frowned at the white, empty room surrounding them. "Why am I here? Why are you here? Where are the others?"

"So many questions!" Nova said with a giggle. "We're here only because you summoned us, Emma. Since it was _my_ pendant that you performed magic on, I was sent, and since Blue here is always sent to help out with the big, important magical events…" She threw the Blue Fairy a distasteful look, who ignored it.

"And this place, Princess Emma," the Blue Fairy said, gesturing to the room around them. "You were the one who created it."

Emma gaped at them. "M-me? But how-?"

"True Love, Saviour!" Nova giggled. "It's your Destiny - your magic is more capable of greatness than you think!"

Smiling, the Blue Fairy nodded in agreement. "Indeed, and since you created it, you can be the one to undo it. Simply think about it and believe in yourself."

Furrowing her eyebrows, Emma slowly looked at the room around them. "So we're still at the dungeon?"

Nova and the Blue Fairy nodded encouragingly. "And if you believe hard enough, you can still go back to the others, where Time has stood still for them."

Emma contemplated on this for a moment, then looked back up at them. "And you - where will both of you go?"

Nova giggled. "Back to the Light, of course!"

Emma opened her mouth to ask one more question, but the words died on her tongue when she saw a white mist suddenly surrounding Nova and the Blue Fairy.

"I'm sorry, dear Princess Emma," the Blue Fairy said with an apologetic smile. "But our time is running out and soon Pink and I must leave. Remember the words I told you: undo what you can create and believe in yourself, and you will succeed."

"But wait!" Emma shouted, reaching out for them as the white mist slowly grew thicker. "I can't do this alone!"

Nova let out a laugh. "Of course you can! You're the great _Saviour,_ silly - the product of True Love!" she said cheerily. Then a faraway, dreamy look passed by her face. "Ooh and I can't _wait_ to see what kind of products you and that handsome man will make…"

Emma pounced forward, trying to reach for them as the white mist reached their necks, engulfing their bodies. "What you do mean?!" she yelled at them. "No, come back - I'm not finished! "

"But soon you will be, Princess Emma," the Blue Fairy said. The two fairies smiled warmly at Emma before the white mist completely devoured them.

"Just believe in yourself."

* * *

_Just believe in yourself_. The words echoed through Emma's head as her eyes flung open, her mouth gasping for air.

_"Emma!"_

She whipped her head to her right and saw Killian pinned against the wall by an unseen force, his expression changing into relief as she looked at him. It worked - she was alive and back in the dungeon, which also means...

Emma looked down and clutched at her chest, letting out a breath of relief at the feeling of her beating heart. But where was Regina? The sound of a furious screech answered her thoughts, and Emma looked in front of her to see Regina slumped against the wall, her hair in a tangled mess, breathing heavily as she glared at Emma. But Emma only looked at her in bewilderment, unsure of the reason why the Evil Queen looked like she was in such a defeated position.

"That was amazing, sis!" Henry shouted out from behind. "Where the hell did you learn how to blast people away like that?!"

She opened her mouth to say she had no idea, but then Regina suddenly rose from her slumped position, glaring at Emma as she made her way towards her. Dodging the ball of light that Regina had suddenly flung at her, Emma rushed towards Killian's side, trying to peel him down from the wall. After succeeding, Killian widened his eyes.

"Emma, look out!" Killian pulled her out of the way when Regina aimed a ball of fire at them, causing them to fall on the ground at Henry and Baelfire's feet. She made a motion to get up but then felt someone lift her up by the arms. So she turned around, flinging her arms around the person when she realized who it was.

_"Graham!"_ she breathed, squeezing the life out of him. "How the hell did you get here?! Are the others-" She stopped as she looked behind him and almost cried out in relief at the sight of Jefferson, Eric, and Smee crowded in a corner, staring at Regina fearfully. He hugged her back, though briefly as he pulled away with a grave look on his face.

"I'll explain later but we don't have much time, you have to get to Jefferson – watch out!"

He pushed Emma and Killian out of the way as Regina threw another wave of a magic in their direction. Emma whipped around, trying to see if anyone was hurt…

"Emma, catch!"

Jefferson flung what looked like a couple of black cuffs towards Emma, who caught it in time. "It's one of Cora's! I've seen her use it on sorcerers before – put it on her wrists!" he explained when she stared at it in confusion.

"It takes away her magic, your Highness!" Smee piped in. Emma looked back at the cuffs, recalling a vague memory of Rumplestiltskin – she remembered him looking at some cuffs that were on his wrists with great distaste. And if what Smee said was true, _well…_ It _would_ make sense as to why Rumplestiltskin had not gone all Dark One on them as she had expected. Suddenly feeling very pressured, she looked back at Smee anxiously, who was still nodding his head in encouragement. However his enthusiasm soon died away as Regina, who was now glaring at them, let out a scream of outrage.

"Let's see you try," she hissed as she walked towards Emma, a dangerous snarl on her face. With a snap of her fingers, the lights in the rooms completely vanished, resulting in only pitch-black darkness. Emma panicked and began to move backwards, reaching out behind her blindly in the hopes of finding something that could help her…

_'Just believe in yourself'_. Emma came to a halt, remembering what the Blue Fairy and Nova had said. _Of course_ - she can use magic. So she took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and concentrated. Just as she wanted, the fire in all the torches lit up once again. The wicked smile disappearing from her face, Regina stopped mid-action and looked around in alarm.

"Did you forget?" Emma smirked, walking towards her. "I'm the Saviour."

Regina yelled in fury and lifted her hands, producing another ball of fire in her palms. She threw it in Emma's direction but it was too late - Emma was too quick. She effectively dodged the fire once again and lunged towards Regina, holding the cuffs tightly in her hands.

Doing what she did best, Emma landed a punch across Regina's cheeks, causing the Evil Queen to stumble back. Emma caught her hand and slapped the cuffs on her, a triumphant smirk on her face when Regina finally fell on the ground, staring at her wrists in horror. Then she looked back at Emma, a dangerous glint in her eye as she lifted her hands to cast another deadly spell, but to her shock, nothing happened.

Killian and Henry rushed to Emma's side, holding back Regina as she began to get up - to strangle Emma, no doubt.

"Don't _touch_ me, you _pathetic-"_

"Funny isn't it," Emma interrupted. "How your mother is the one that ends up helping us." She bent down to meet her eye-level as Killian and Henry roughly pinned both of Regina's arms to the wall, and looked at the black cuffs on Regina's wrists pointedly. "Good thing she takes pride in her inventions and makes copies."

Regina shot her a deathly glare, her lips twitching as she snarled. "You like to make pretty speeches before you kill your enemies, _Princess?"_ she said mockingly. "Let's see how Snow White's daughter is made of - go, do it. _Kill me_."

Emma rolled her eyes. "I will, but I'd also like to know a few things - you know, for closure." She leaned in closer and looked Regina straight in the eye. _"Why?_ Why do all of this - all the revenge, the killing, everything? You know yourself that it wasn't my mom's fault what happened with your-"

"_Yes it was_," Regina snapped back. "She took away _my_ happiness, _my_ chance at a happy ending, and all because she couldn't keep her mouth shut!"

"Then why not just start over? Find someone new or do something else to heal yourself? Why go through all of this?!"

"You don't think I tried?!" Regina scoffed. "But then that _Prophecy_ came up, and I had to leave him and his son... So nice suggestion, Princess, but that path failed."

They blinked at her, all thinking the same thought - somebody had loved Regina while she was the Evil Queen? Killian stared at Regina for a moment, her words striking up a memory from his mind, something that had bothered him for a short while when he had been told to tell her about it, but never really had the chance to revisit the thought... '_Love is strength, and she is not weak if she has_-'

"..._two hearts to claim as her own_."

Regina turned her head in Killian's direction, eyes widening in surprise at his words. Killian closed his mouth and snapped back into reality - he hadn't realized he had been thinking out loud.

"Where did you hear that from?" Regina whispered.

Killian held her wrist tightly and regained his posture. "From a friend," he replied vaguely.

"Who? Tell me!" Regina demanded angrily. She began to move forward in Killian's direction, trying to shake off his and Henry's grip on her, but ended up kicking at Emma instead.

"Hey!" Killian yelled as they struggled to keep her still. He pulled at Regina's chin roughly to face his. "Do that again and I'll-"

"Kill me? Then do it, sailor," Regina spat back, glancing pointedly at the small golden ship pinned on Killian's shirt. "Tell me who told you that," Regina hissed again.

He pushed her away but continued to hold her down. "Sailor? That's Captain Killian Jones to you, Evil Queen," he said, ignoring her demand once again.

Clearly her demand slipped from her mind as Regina's glare slowly changed into a slightly surprised expression at the sound of his name. "Captain Jones… From the Phrygia Kingdom Navy?" she asked.

Taken aback by the knowledge of his home, his grip on her faltered slightly. "Y-yes. How did you know?"

To their surprise, a smile spread across Regina's face and she threw back her head, a cackle escaping her throat. They looked at each other warily. "Oh _God,"_ she said as she finally stopped laughing. "Midas' _robot_ and Snow White's _daughter?_ I'm truly done for, aren't I?"

Killian grabbed her by the throat and glared at her menacingly. "How do you know me? What do you know of Midas?!" he hissed at her.

She let out a cold laugh. "That pathetic love-sick fool? I made a deal with him a long time ago, when I was still focused on my revenge against Snow White - I'll give him a cure for his… _Golden Curse_, only if he'll give me his heart."

Killian froze as the words processed through his mind. "What do you mean?" he demanded. He shook her roughly. "What did you do with him?!"

The wicked smile that formed on her face made his blood run cold. "I played him like the idiot he was. I took his heart and controlled his Kingdom, so I could force his Navy to use their magical ship to retrieve a very special thing - a poison that would have given Snow White the cruel, slow death I wanted her to have." She let out a scoff. "But his officers proved to be just as idiotic as their King and had to get their Captain killed and-"

She was cut off by Killian, who had yelled in outrage at her revelation and began to close his fingers around her throat. "All this time - _you_ were the one who ordered my brother to get that _bloody Dreamshade_?!" he shouted in fury, shaking her roughly. He couldn't believe it - all this time he had been plotting his revenge against Midas, grieving over the King's betrayal, wondering why of all people, Liam had to die due to the hands of their friend. 'Your target is one step closer than you think' - the bloody Seer was right. His true chance at revenge was right in front of him, and he will gladly do the deed himself for the justice of his brother's death.

"Emma, change of plans," he hissed, not taking his eyes off of Regina's fearful face. His fingers around her began to slowly squeeze the air from her throat. "I will do the honor-"

"Stop." He froze and stared at Emma, who had her hand around Killian's wrist firmly. Although her eyes read pity and understanding, she spoke sternly. "Don't - at least, not yet."

He blinked at her and, hesitatingly, slowly loosening his grip around Regina's throat. He shot Regina a dangerous glare before fully letting go and returning to his original position, pinning her hands to the wall with his own.

Regina let out a gasp and glared at Emma, breathing heavily. "What do you want?! I don't need your pity or any more of your speeches - just do what you came to do-"

"You loved Robin, didn't you?" Emma said quietly. Regina fell silent and stared at Emma unblinkingly. "Yes, I know about him. I know he's the one that told Killian to tell you those exact words - that 'love is strength' and that, from what I can guess from his words, he still loves you."

Emma looked straight at Regina in the eye. "He had hope for you. But I wonder why? Is Regina, the Evil Queen who has killed so many and hated even more, capable of redemption?"

"Robin… still loves me?" Regina whispered, not removing her eyes from Emma's.

She nodded. "Yeah. And I have a hard time believing that. How could someone like Robin Hood, love someone like _you_ - a ruthless, heartless, cold-blooded _bitch_ who has done nothing but try to ruin everyone's lives over and over and over again?!" Emma closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, calming herself down. She spoke again, this time more steadily. "According to the Prophecy, I'm the Saviour - I'm the one who's supposed to destroy you once and for all, and your destruction should be in my hands."

She reached in her pocket and pulled out a ball of cloth. Laying it out on her palm for Regina to see, she looked at it thoughtfully. "I was given this by the Seer herself before she died as the way to kill you. The Eye of Medusa. At the time, I gladly accepted it because I was so focused on getting my revenge." She lifted her eyes back to Regina, who was watching her with an unreadable expression. "You almost killed my mother, tried to ruin her marriage, tried to kill me, and for 10 years you made me believe that Henry - that my brother - was dead. And to top it all, it turns out that _you're_ the one who sent Killian on a ship to retrieve a poison that ended up killing his _brother."_

Emma let out a humorless chuckle and shook her head sadly. _"God,_ I really want to kill you. I really do. And maybe I will. But there's something holding me back, something that my mother once said that made me realize how Robin's choice to make sure you hear those words makes more sense." She took a deep breath, willing herself to continue before she changed her mind. "_Second chance_s. My mom said that everyone deserves a second chance - she thought that with you, and so did Robin. So I'm going to make a twist in this plot, Regina, but I'll do that if only, and only if, you do one thing."

Emma gave her a hard look. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you."

Regina's face faltered, the surprise and confusion and reluctance in the expression mirroring that of everyone else who was in the room listening to them. But when she opened her mouth to speak, the ground below them rumbled, causing them to slightly stumble from their spots.

"What's happening?!" Baelfire shouted, looking around him in panic.

Regina closed her eyes. _If she had only known before that Robin still loved her…_

"It's too late," Regina whispered, letting a tear slip down from her eye. She opened her eyes and looked up at Emma. "And even if it wasn't, I had already accepted my Fate a long time ago, and nothing would change." Emma looked at her questioningly, her mouth slightly parted to speak, but she was interrupted by another rumble beneath them.

Regina let out a shaky laugh. "This morning when I found out that someone had broken into Wonderland, I made my own curse: one that will destroy this castle and everything in it - including me. Although I knew the Prophecy was going to come true one way or another, I was too arrogant; too much of a coward to die at the hands of the Saviour. If I were to die, I didn't want anyone else to do it, so I decided to write my own death."

She looked at Emma sadly, tears now falling freely down her face. "Leave, Princess, and let me give back what I took from you: peace. Fulfill the Prophecy by giving me a painless death and use the Eye, or leave me here to die as I planned."

The ground shook beneath them again, this time more violently, and Emma stared at Killian and Henry, who had now let go of Regina and were standing in alarm, before laying her eyes back on Regina. "W-we have to leave!" Emma managed to choke out. They nodded and began to run past her, but Killian stopped when Emma didn't move with him when he held her hand.

"Love?" Emma didn't respond, still staring at Regina, who had now closed her eyes in resignation. He tugged her hand more forcibly, reading her expression. "Emma, you heard what the witch said - we have to leave! Give her what she wants and let her die!"

Emma opened her mouth then closed it, and looked into Killian's eyes in hesitation._ I can't do it_, her green eyes told him. _I'm not as cold-hearted as I thought I would be_. And _gods,_ the bloody woman had him cursing again - but the ground shook even more violently before he could shout at her to let it go and to just leave her, as there was no way in any damnation that he would bring the cause of his brother's death with them.

"Listen to him, Princess," Regina said in dead voice. "Either leave or kill me."

This time the walls around them shook, and a rock fall from the motion, letting them know that there was not much time left. Emma looked at Killian and then back at Regina - a few minutes ago, she was desperate to kill her - even if she had considered giving her a second chance - but now that the time was presented, now that the Evil Queen even wanted and expected the death for herself, Emma couldn't bring herself to do it. Her mother was right - she's not that kind of person, and for a second Emma wished she was, because the conflicting pain and pity in her chest was too much to bear.

Sensing her reluctance, Killian pulled on Emma's hand roughly, his grip tightening when another rock fell near them. But Emma did not take her eyes off of Regina, an unresolved conflict still in her mind, but then when another large rock almost hit them, Emma snapped out of her thoughts and pushed Killian out of the way.

She had to run - there was no choice. And if Regina chooses her own death, well, there was nothing Emma could do more about it. She herself still wanted to live. So she turned around and let herself get pulled forward by Killian, but then-

"No, wait!" Regina had stood up from the ground and pulled Emma's other hand, where the Eye was still in her grasp. "I-I don't want to be crushed to death. Please, use the Eye - kill me!" Regina pleaded, looking around her fearfully.

Emma shook her head - no, she couldn't; she had just made up her mind that she wasn't a murderer, that she-

But then Regina quickly pried Emma's fingers apart and grabbed the Eye. She began to unwrap it, tears flooding her face as she choked on her sobs. _Daniel, you will always be my first love. Edward, my darling baby, I wished I had more time to spend with you_…

Closing her eyes, she pulled back the last strip of cloth and took a deep breath._ Thank you for having hope in me, Robin. I'm sorry that I had to leave you and Roland._

Then she opened her eyes, making sure that Emma heard her final words before she fell into her final Fate.

"Tell Robin I love him."

* * *

**A/N: **And this fic is finally coming to an end. One more chapter & the epilogue to go :)


	31. Chapter 31

_"No!"_

Emma watched wide-eyed as Regina unwrapped the last strip of cloth and stared into the Eye of Medusa. She let out a yell as she watched Regina's body get devoured by a hard, grey substance, consequently turning her completely into stone. The sight was not far from the legends - no, not at all, as Regina was now a stone statue, a tear still evident in her eye even in her hardened state.

Killian pulled her again forcibly, but this time she did not hold back and ran with him, dodging the falling stones on their way. They followed Jefferson, who had good memory of the castle's layout due to his past association with Cora, through the underground sewers and towards the outside of the castle, where the others stood panting and waiting for them.

Before they could say anything, however, a loud bang from behind them was heard. They turned around to see the castle slowly breaking down completely, its stone walls and wooden doors crashing down on each other in a large pile as it collapsed.

But just as they were able to sigh in relief for their successful escape, a large black winged created swooped down their way. Everyone leapt to the side to dodge it, but they only looked up again to see an even more horrific sight.

"Jabbawockies!" Jefferson shouted out to them. "There are hundreds of them!"

He yelled for them to run and they followed suit, sprinting behind him as he led them out of the castle grounds and into a nearby crowd of trees. They caught up to him and watched as he fumbled around his bag. Finally, he pulled out a large red hat decorated in stars and held it out to them.

"Here, it's the least I can do," he said, offering the hat to Emma.

She stared it in bemusement. "A portal?" she asked as the realization hit her.

Jefferson nodded and smiled at her. "You got me into Wonderland as you promised and I found my daughter, but I still have to hold up my end of the deal - I had to help you get through it, right? Well I'm going to tweak the deal a little bit. I'll help you get out of Wonderland."

"But what about your daughter - Grace?" Killian asked tentatively, his eyes carefully scanning the man who stabbed him, though now looking at him in a different light.

"She's safe in a cabin near here and will leave Wonderland with me as well. I have another hat for the both of us, so you don't need to worry," he replied, nudging the hat towards them.

Emma took it reluctantly then gave him a sad smile. "Thank you, Jefferson," she said. He dismissed her gratefulness with a wave.

"Ah well, my penance for stabbing your boyfriend over there," he said, gesturing towards Killian.

She felt her cheeks slightly reddened at the comment and glanced at the pirate beside her, who was now chuckling. "You're not as mad as I thought, mate," Killian said with a laugh. "I suppose I shall call you Jefferson instead of Mad Hatter now."

Jefferson simply smiled and made a flourish with his hand. "Now," he said as he bent down on the ground. "Put the hat here and spin it," he instructed Emma. "From what I've seen, you have some magic in you so it won't be hard to get what you want from this hat."

She nodded and put the hat on the ground, and, concentrating as hard as she could, she spun the hat. To her surprise, the hat continued spinning even without her prompt, and soon enough a white glow appeared from with the hat, growing bigger and bigger and bigger, until they had to jump out of the way to avoid being sucked into the resulting white hole.

"You just jump into it and you'll be back near the Rabbit Hole!" Jefferson yelled. "You don't have to hold hands or anything - you'll land in the same general area! So don't worry!"

Emma nodded and looked at the others. Taking a deep breath, each of them jumped in, one by one: first Eric and Smee, followed by Graham, then Henry, then Killian, and then soon Emma was left.

She looked at Jefferson before going in for the fall. "Thank you," she said with a genuine smile. "For everything."

And with that, Emma jumped in, the last image she sees being the Jabberwockies circling the destroyed castle where a broken Evil Queen lay, finally receiving her redemption at last.

* * *

When they landed, Emma couldn't help but swear loudly - she was really getting tired of landing herself on solid ground only to experience aches upon aches. The others seemed to share her enthusiasm, as they constantly groaned and complained grumpily as they made their way towards the Dark Forest.

It took a while before the realization finally settled into their minds - they had succeeded and were finally on safe ground. They all laughed as Smee let out a loud whoop of joy in the realization, finally allowing themselves the chance to let the relief sink in. They had succeeded and they were alive.

However Emma and Killian remained quiet as they walked side by side, unable to speak and engage themselves in the cheering as the events had left quite the mark on them. The fact that Killian's revenge was just like Emma's all along, and the fact that he had been led to believe otherwise for so many years, had disturbed him greatly, but at the same time he felt a wave of relief. King Midas had not betrayed him and his brother's friendship after all, and the Evil Queen, who had been the true mastermind behind the dangerous quest for the Dreamshade (and ultimately, the one responsible for Liam's death), was gone. Although indirectly, he had gotten justice for Liam's death, and that was enough for him.

He looked at the Princess beside him, who was also looking faraway in deep thought. A line of anxiety creased on her forehead moved Killian, so he reached out and touched her cheek.

"She's gone, love," he said in a quiet voice. "Let it go."

Emma closed her eyes at his touch and sighed, shaking her head. "I know it's crazy, but… did she deserve it?" She bit her lip - it looked like Regina wanted to take on the second chance Emma was offering her, but was it enough? What if Regina had lived - would she have let go of her thirst for power and revenge, and start all over again?

"Did she? That, I do not know, but she is gone in the way that she had wanted," Killian replied. He chuckled at Emma's doubtful face and stopped walking to face her. He took her face into his hands and looked at her in the eyes. "You really do surprise me sometimes, Emma, no matter how much of an open book I claim you to be. One moment, you are as vengeful and calculated as the next assassin, unable to be fazed due to your focus on your hatred and revenge on Regina. But then sometimes, as I have seen with Jefferson and the Evil Queen herself, you show your true colours: that you are not truly as hateful and cold-hearted as you make yourself to be. You understand people in ways most people cannot, and can read their hearts if you truly wanted to. You see potential and goodness where others refuse to acknowledge."

He dropped his hands from her face and slid them down her arms, until their fingers intertwined. "I am not as good of a person as you, my love, so I cannot be truly disturbed by the Evil Queen's death. After all, as it was revealed, it was her who had been ultimately responsible for my brother's death. But remember what Regina had said before she died: it was too late. With or without the Prophecy, she was destined to be destroyed anyway - she had hated too many and loved too few, and too much damage made by her has been done. And if she was meant to have a second chance… Well, we will never know. She has already written her destruction for herself."

He gave her a loving smile before lifting their hands towards his chest. "But this I say to you, Emma, remember what the Seer had told you: _your Destiny is one of Salvation_. You are the Saviour, Emma, and although you may not realize it now, you have saved much more than just the Enchanted Forest and Wonderland from being cursed."

Emma searched his eyes, a smile twitching at the corner of her mouth. "And what's that?" she whispered.

"Graham, for one. Henry, Baelfire - the whole bloody crew here." He chuckled to himself and gave her a sincere smile before continuing. "And most importantly, _me._ You saved my heart from turning completely black in my thirst for vengeance, and you have given me a Hope to start a new beginning."

He finally closed the distance between them and pulled her close to his chest, kissing the top of her head.

"And you, my love, are most definitely my new beginning."

* * *

"Okay, lovebirds, your time is up!"

Killian and Emma pulled away to see Graham with his arms crossed, looking at them in amusement. Emma blinked at him as he tapped his foot impatiently, looking at her expectedly.

_"Well?"_ Graham said. "I'd like to have my heart back, you know."

"Oh shit - I almost forgot!" Emma exclaimed. Then she called out to Henry, who was walking not too far from them. "Henry! Can you look inside my bag and get me a small wooden box?"

"You forgot to say _'please'!"_ he shouted back, pulling out said box. He handed it to Baelfire next to him, who tossed it over to Eric then to Smee, who finally handed it to Emma, although he almost tripped and dropped it-

_"Oy,_ that's my _heart_ you're throwing around!" Graham roared at them, clutching at his chest with a groan. They all laughed, eliciting a glare from him. "Not funny," he grumbled to Emma when she walked towards him with the box. "You have no clue how hard it was to stand still when you were fighting with Regina with the bag still on you."

Emma let out a loud laugh, not bothering to warn him beforehand that it will also hurt when she pushed his heart back into his chest.

* * *

A few hours later, they finally arrived at Rumpelstiltskin's place, and although he had first greeted them with a sour, grumpy face, they were relieved to see his expression when Baelfire emerged from behind them, embracing his Papa at last.

Although Baelfire protested (after all, he and Henry had grown very close over their years of being confined together), they didn't stay for very long. As pleasant as Baelfire may be, his father was not as fond of guests as Baelfire was, so eventually his constant glaring and moping around prompted them to say goodbye. Much to Emma's surprise, Rumpelstiltskin called after her and Killian before they walked out the door, urging them to come to his desk.

"Here is just fine, croc-Rumpelstiltskin," Killian said in annoyance. "What is it that you want?"

He looked between the two of them eagerly, tapping his fingers together as he spoke. "Well seeing that you're now more… _well-acquainted_ with each other, I'd like to ask one tiny favour from you and the lady, laddie." He giggled when Emma arched an eyebrow. "One strand of hair from the each of you. I'm afraid the ones your parents gave have gone to waste, but I'm sure the plans that I have for yours will prove to be much more… _promising."_

A strange request, but at least it didn't require crossing realms to retrieve a boy. "And what do we get out of this?" she asked.

Rumpelstiltskin looked taken aback by Emma's words, as he was not used to being at this other end of the deal-making. He looked at her thoughtfully. "I'll let Baelfire visit you and your brother any time he desires - provided that I come as well, of course."

She sighed - well, that couldn't hurt. "Deal - as long as you don't do any Dark One things when you're there," she said, pulled a strand of hair from her head. Though he deeply disapproved _(what kind of bloody plans does he have with our hairs, of all people's_?), Killian plucked out a strand of hair from his own head and dropped it into Rumpelstiltskin's palm.

"Oh, don't you worry, dearies," Rumpelstiltskin said with a giggle. "Good things will come from what I'm planning to create."

* * *

After a teary goodbye from Baelfire and a not-so-teary goodbye from a bored Rumpelstiltskin, they all made their way to Loup's Den. Unfortunately, they were not able to find Robin Hood and his merry men at the edge of the Dark Forest or near the Lion Heart Pub, but the sight of Ruby's beaming face as she greeted them made the disappointment disappear from their thoughts.

They all talked and feasted, sharing brief stories of what had happened in Wonderland when they were separated. Apparently Jefferson had helped Eric find the 'cure' he was looking for, as it happened to be in a spring near his home, and Smee was the great hero in retrieving it from the deadly creatures that tried to prevent them from leaving with it. As well, Graham proved to be a much more lively bloke with his heart back, and very affectionate too, as he could barely keep his eyes and hands off of Ruby during the entire dinner.

But as they had their own homes to leave to, Emma and the others said goodbye to Graham, Ruby, and the other wonderful people they have met at Loup's Den. As promised, before they left Ruby hurried to Emma to give her the outfit that she had worn to the Lion Heart Pub. Although Emma politely refused, Killian had rushed over to say thank you, I'll have that, and snatched the clothing from a surprised Ruby with a satisfied, mischievous smirk on his face. Emma was half-annoyed yet half-amused - she'll find a way to get rid of that thing later.

Finally, they reached the Jolly Roger, which was still in one piece much to Killian's delight. Although they were all exhausted, Killian, Emma, and Henry still couldn't find it in themselves to sleep. After all, Emma and Henry had ten years worth of catching up to do, which was something they were eager to do right away, and of course as Killian was the Captain, he had some duties to fulfill first.

"I suppose we should call it the 'Jewel of the Realm' since my ancestor is the King of the Seas?" Killian mused, mostly to himself as Emma was staring at the sunset before them. A look of awe passed her face as she watched the reflection of the orange and red hues dance on the sea waters. Henry had finally gone below decks to sleep - he declared that he was much too exhausted for further conversation, but Emma sensed his lie as she caught him smirk knowingly at Killian, who gave a tiny nod of understanding back.

She looked at the man who Henry intended on leaving her alone with, and smiled. "Whatever you want, Captain."

He looked down at her and smirked. "Anything?" he echoed. "Well in _that_ case…"

She laughed as he slipped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer. "That will be for _later,_ Captain. We've just had one hell of an adventure and well, to put it quite frankly: I'm too damn tired," she said with a weak smile.

Killian smiled back at her and pushed a strand of her hair from her face. "I've grown quite fond of the idea of having more adventures with you, love," he said huskily, though she knew no innuendos were implied in that sentence.

"And so have I, but we'll save those kinds of adventures for another time," she said with a soft smile.

He leaned in and pressed his forehead against hers, eyes locked onto hers, blue meeting green.

"Until next time, then?" he whispered.

Emma felt a familiar tinge in her heart at the familiar phrase but it was quickly erased when he moved in closer, allowing her to finally close the distance between their lips.

"_Until next time_."

* * *

**A/N: **:""""") The end... And now for ch32, **The Epilogue** :) stay tuned! ;)


	32. Epilogue: The Beginning

**Epilogue****: The Beginning**

_**1 year and a half later**_

If Emma could save two worlds and survive a deathly quest in just a span of two weeks, then one can only imagine what could happen to her within an entire year and a half. Indeed, many things have happened in the past year and a half since the victory over the Evil Queen - so many, that she could barely keep track of it all. But firstly, it would be sensible to note what had happened after they destroyed the Evil Queen and boarded the Jolly Roger.

As Smee often liked to remind them, Eric was able to successfully retrieve the cure he sought for his mother's illness due to Smee's heroics, but unfortunately he was not able to reach his mother in time. _"I expected it, though I was hoping I wouldn't be too late_," he had told the others when they visited to pay their respects at her funeral.

But his journey had not gone to waste - he was able to use some of the cure on Ariel after having been reunited when he used the shell she gave him. Since her father never returned home (presumably due to Regina's wrath after she murdered Ursula, something they still had no knowledge about to this day), she made the choice to use the cure on her fins and live as a two-legged human for the rest of her days, therefore being able to spend the rest of her life with her love.

The mechanisms behind the cure remained a mystery for those who did not retrieve it with Eric, including Emma, but soon it was revealed when he requested a private moment with her. Naturally, she raised an eyebrow and asked what did he want, but he simply pulled out the vial with the cure from his pocket and placed it in her hand.

"This is from the Fountain of Youth," he had explained. "But the legends fall short from what it can truly do: it grants your deepest desires. To what extent its magic works, I do not know, but I would like for you to have it."

Confused, she asked him, "But why not give it to Killian? He was your Captain and brought you along on his ship."

Eric chuckled. "He said that he has all that he desires and that I should give it to you," he replied. "He also added that you can use it on Long-Nose, though I wasn't quite sure what he meant by that."

But Emma knew what he had meant by that. She had forgotten that she had told Killian stories about her childhood with August and Henry, including their old nickname for him, so when she hears Eric's words, it takes everything in her to not melt in emotions. Instead, she gives him her thanks and runs off to Killian, telling him they had one more visit to make.

And so it turned out that Emma _did_ find a way to bring August back home and kept her promise, as the cure relieved him from the curse of the wolf Bite, thus allowing him to freely leave and enter Loup's Den as he pleased. Though she was alarmed at Geppetto's reaction when August and Emma showed up at his doorstep, smiling and completely alive, as the old man burst into tears. Emma was actually convinced that he was choking - she had tried giving the poor old man the Heimlich several times until August and Henry had to restrain her.

Indeed, Henry's reappearance had caused quite the spectacle in the castle - the dwarves' celebration over Emma's return was quickly taken over by loud, sloppy sobs of joy at the sight of Henry (Killian swore that the puddle he almost slipped into was Sneezy's mucus). In fact, even the King and Queen momentarily forgot about Emma's choice to sneak away when they saw Henry. But the topic quickly resurfaced when Killian bowed before the King, receiving a full-blown punch to the face for _'taking his daughter without even a single word, damn pirate_!' The difficult quest to win the King's trust to court his daughter began then.

But that quest didn't prove to be so difficult after all. As Killian was now sticking around more often, he had begun to spend more time with Henry. He started to form a strong liking to the lad and vice versa, so much so that they began scheming behind Emma's back - at least, that's what she swore they were doing.

"What's '_Operation Booty_'?" Emma had asked when she overheard Henry whispering to Killian.

She didn't miss the glance Henry gave Killian before he answered. "Well you see, sis, Killian here taught me a thing or two about the pirate life..."

"...Such as how pirates will do whatever it takes to get their treasure," Killian added.

"But sometimes there are obstacles," Henry said sadly.

"Nasty, ill-tempered obstacles, indeed," Killian said darkly, giving a distasteful glance at the balcony above them.

"And that's not very good isn't it?" Henry said with a disapproving shake of his head.

"Not at all, lad," Killian agreed.

Henry glanced at Killian. "Because pirates love the booty."

"Oh yes, they do enjoy the booty," Killian snorted.

"And they'll do whatever it takes to get the booty," Henry said with a triumphant smile. "And the booty will be theirs!"

"_To the Booty_!"

And with that, Killian and Henry skipped away, sniggering as they hummed a strange song about 'the booty' that they most likely made up themselves, leaving Emma to stand alone in the hallway, completely bewildered.

* * *

But Emma eventually found out what 'Operation Booty' was and exactly what Killian and Henry were scheming. It was revealed the day Killian finally, finally asked for her hand in marriage - and what better place to propose than at the tree in front of the castle where they first met?

At first she was reluctant - after all, it wasn't established that her father had completely warmed up to Killian yet. "But that was what 'Operation Booty' was for," Killian had explained. While he was going to marry Emma whether the King liked it or not (_'it's_ her_ choice, anyway_,' Killian had once said to Henry), he still wanted the King's approval. Though it was challenging, with the help of Henry's charms and Snow's knowing smirks, he eventually won it.

She really, _really_ wanted to elope (mostly to escape from wearing the horrid feathery wedding dress her mother was hinting that she should wear), but her family insisted they should at least have a nice, small wedding at the gardens. After much resistance (and a match in archery against the Queen that resulted in a horrific lost for Emma), she gave in and a wedding fit for Royalty was given.

Only a selected few came, the most obvious being her family, August and Geppetto, and the Dwarves (or 'Uncles,' as Grumpy had corrected), but there were other visitors, too. Eric and a two-legged, enthusiastic Ariel came (the ex-mermaid appeared to still be adjusting to the human world, as she kept on insisting to the chef that the forks '_aren't supposed to be used for eating, but for combing hair'_), as well as Ruby and a hearty Graham ("_Will you stop making those puns_?!" he huffed at August and Henry), and even the ever-clumsy Smee, who had been away on another trip, blessed them with his blubbering presence.

To everyone's shock, Baelfire arrived with a sulking Rumpelstiltskin - by Henry's request, of course. Although the Dark One was mostly bored for the whole thing, he acted very strange whenever Emma and Killian initiated polite conversation with him. He kept on dropping hints about a particular subject Emma had been sensitive about (Killian liked to remind her how red her face was at Rumple's words), such as constant gesturing towards her stomach or questions about family plans, and wondering out loud how empty his own life would be without a child.

Rumpelstiltskin seemed to have started a trend as everyone else began to drop hints on a baby, and although he was often in the background giggling knowingly to himself, Rumpelstiltskin very much encouraged the idea. However Emma and Killian knew very well that his weird desire for them to conceive a child was definitely not for 'cutesy' reasons - he most likely had some great, secretive, special magical plan that involved their child, and well… Emma would rather not ask.

* * *

Six months later, Emma sits alone in a balcony, staring out at the sea before her. A faint smile crosses her lips as she recalls having been in a similar situation like this a year and a half ago - on a tattered roof of an old man's toy shop, though at that time she wasn't enjoying the view at her own pleasure, but rather plotting her revenge.

_A lot has changed since then…_

And just as the thought crosses her mind, she hears a movement behind her and, ironically, turns around to see just one of these changes she was reminiscing about.

"You left dinner rather early, love," Killian says with a small smile. Feeling suddenly ashamed, she looks away - his looks are all too knowing, and she can feel him reading her even with her back turned to him.

"Not really in the mood for conversation," she admitted.

Killian sighed and sat down beside her, and gently turned her chin to face him. "Open book, Emma," he said with a smirk. Then he gave her a sincere smile. "Love, don't you worry, okay? A beautiful life has been given to us - a wonderful marriage, happiness, the pleasure of our own home-" he gestured at the balcony around them. Then he pressed his forehead against hers. "So don't you worry. What is to come will be just as beautiful, and if anything bad occurs - well, love, you know that we will _always_ find our way."

With those words, the tension in her body left as she looked back into his blue eyes and smiled. She let out a long breath and returned the loving action when she felt Killian intertwine his fingers with hers, resting her head on his shoulder as they stayed silent, watching the scenery before them. A hand hovered over her growing stomach absentmindedly, and she couldn't help but bite a lip to keep back from grinning as she recalled a few words that had proved to be of so much meaning in their lives today:

_'Your success is only the beginning.'_

And it was - it truly was. A year and a half later, they had moved on from their past and started a new beginning for themselves - a life that was unlike anything Emma would have ever pictured before. She moved her head to look back up at her husband - yes, a year and a half ago she would have been annoyed at his presence, preferring to slip quietly from the crowds, insisting that she had intended only two things for herself: invisibility and isolation.

But now, while she may sometimes crave invisibility, she no longer felt the need to constantly shut everyone out and live in isolation. No - now, Emma had excused herself from the table, fully knowing well that he would notice and follow after her, offering her the reassurance and comfortable, silent company he knew she needed.

It was exactly her intention.

_To hell with fear,_ she thought with a smirk as she looked up at her husband. Killian nodded in silent agreement as he reached over and cupped his hand over hers, smiling at the feeling of their child kicking gently inside Emma's stomach.

_'To our new beginning.'_

She was no longer scared; no longer hopeless when it came to envisioning her future.

Because this time, she wasn't alone.

* * *

**A/N:** ...And there we have it :) My first ever fanfic finally completed. I want to take the time to thank all of you for your wonderful reviews & support. I really do appreciate it. To be honest, I started this fic with just a simple idea (Navy officer Killian not knowing Emma is a Princess & them having a mutual dislike for each other) and I didn't really expect it to go any further than a three-shot. But as you can see, I let my imagination get away with itself & ended up writing not one, or two, or three, but a _31-chaptered fic_ - including an Epilogue!

But yeah, I am really grateful that you all took the time to read this. Thank you again and again and again :)

**NEW AU/CS FIC - "****_Man-Hunt_****"**

Finally, as mentioned before, I decided to write another fic: also AU & Captain Swan and multi-chaptered. It's ongoing just like this one & will have a pre-planned storyline as well. It's already posted!

**Summary of "_Man Hunt_": "Emma Swan is a skilled bounty hunter in the Enchanted Forest & it just so happens that one of her clients is Captain Hook. What happens when she decides to take on his dangerous request? Two broken individuals w/ dark pasts play a risky game full of mistrust & secrets, not willing to give the other the upper hand. Whose wall will break first?**"

I'm excited about this one because I will be writing Captain Hook this time, which will be interesting to play around with as I can explore the juxtaposition between the Hook and Killian personas. And of course we'll have our lovely hard-headed Emma Swan, though she will be a bounty hunter from the EF this time hehe.

Well that's all I have to say. Thank you for reading and I'll hopefully see some of you in my reviews for my other fic :)

If not, well then… _Until next time ;)_


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